The BFB Dilemma
by Shadowhunter5801
Summary: Best friend's brother. Sister's best friend. They both have one thing in common: Off limits. Jace Lightwood. Clary Fray. They both have one thing in common: Enemies. Love. Hate. They both have one thing in common: A thin line. So what happens for Clary when off limit enemies find that thin line? Of course, without a doubt, The Best Friend's Brother Dilemma.
1. Chapter 1

**So... my people.. I know I'm writing Treble Hearts, but I wanted to do this too. I've wanted to do a Best Friend's Brother thing for a while, and I've actually got this one more planned out than Treble. I'll be updating both though, but November won't bring as much because GUESS WHO'S DOING NANOWRIMO?! (It's me, if you didn't guess). Anyways... LET'S DO THIS THING.**

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"Jace motherfreaking Lightwood!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs, storming out of Isabelle's bathroom and into her bedroom with a vengeance. As expected, the blonde was sprawled out across her bed. Holding. My. Clothes. I stomped over to him, one hand holding my towel up and one extended for the garments, "Hand them over. Now!" My yell could've shattered someone's eardrums, but he didn't look fazed in the least. Instead, he stayed silent, simply raising a single eyebrow in response. Of course it was a single eyebrow. It was always a single eyebrow, simply because I am incapable of it.

"I don't think so..." He finally spoke, a mischievous smile on his face.

"I'm not kidding, Jace." My hiss was deadly, but he made no move to do as I wanted. All he did was look me up and down, "Having fun checking me out?" I growled, and he snorted. Honestly, I hadn't been expecting anything else. Jace had seen my body plenty of times, so this was nothing special. Wow, that sounded dirty when I put it like that. What I _meant_ was that he'd seen me in a bathing suit more times than I could count. That kind of thing happens, considering I'd been friends with his sister since we could walk. I'd hated him since we could walk too, since his first sentence to me was 'You're such a loser'. We were four. How the hell did he even know what that meant?

"You honestly think I would check you out?" The boy snorted, and I glared at him harshly, "You're scrawny, short, and so not my type."

"Yet you took my clothes." I deadpanned. He rolled his eyes, then began twirling my motherfreaking _bra_ on his finger. Needless to say, Jace wasn't exactly a shy person. Then again, as the most popular guy in our school, he'd slept with more girls than I could count, so that was nothing new. I waited silently for him to get distracted by the annoying action, then I lunged forward, intending to grab everything from his grubby little hands. In a flash that I couldn't comprehend, I ended up flat on my back on the bed, staring up at Jace, who was poised over me. I pushed on his chest with my free hand, but he didn't budge. My superior strength was obviously restricted because I could only use one.

The sarcasm came off the thought in waves.

"And what, exactly, were you trying to accomplish?" Jace smirked, unfazed by the fact that I was under him in a towel. _Only_ a towel. He seemed to sense my discomfort, because his eyes shined deviously.

"Get off me, Fatty." I gave him one last shove, and he finally relented, rolling away. My sigh of relief was audible, causing Jace to turn my way, "What?" I snapped, clearly ticked off, but I couldn't be blamed. The guy had taken _everything_ from me. Any semblance of normal cover I had was gone. What in the world was I supposed to do? Jace had no plans to give anything back, and I had the strongest feeling he wouldn't let me take anything from Izzy's drawers either.

"Clary, are you..." Isabelle barged into the room, trailing off when she saw us. Well, me, "What is going on here?" Rather than having a huge reaction at finding her brother and best friend in bed-the best friend being only in a _towel_ -she just rolled her eyes. For a second, I was awkwardly silent, not knowing what to say, so Izzy took the reins, "Jace, give her back her clothes." Neither Jace nor I had to say a word for her to know what was going on. Jace's and my mouths bobbed open and closed as we stared at her in shock. If her not assuming bad things didn't say anything about his and my relationship, I didn't know what would.

"I don't have her clothes." The blonde quickly regained his composure, and my eyes snapped to him in a fiery blaze.

"Bullshit." I sat up carefully, making sure the towel still covered the necessities, "I am going to tell you one more time. Give me my damn clothes or so help me God..." I let the threat speak for itself, but Jace just barked out a laugh, "You're treading on thin ice." There was a devilish note to my tone, and I hoped he felt threatened. He most likely didn't, though I'd like to think otherwise. Even when Isabelle turned her famously cold glare on him, he didn't flinch. Now that, I had to give him credit for. Not many could withstand the promise of doom that came with that look.

"Jace." That one word was so dangerous that it scared _me,_ even though it wasn't directed my way. I could see the boy begin to shrink back, and all she had to do was stare at him for a little bit longer. Then finally, he cracked.

"Fine." He groaned, thrusting my clothes at me. I grabbed them, hugging them to my chest protectively just in case he got any ideas. Then again, Jace wouldn't care whether or not he copped a feel if it meant getting what he wanted. I let out the breath I'd been unintentionally holding as he left the room, letting the door shut in his wake. Isabelle finally tore her eyes from the door to give me an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry." She said, "We forgot to lock his cage." I couldn't help the slight giggle that escaped me, and Izzy's grin turned genuine when she realized that I wasn't too mad. At least, not at her. When it came to Jace, I was always fuming. The idiot head was almost too huge to fit through a door, because his ego was bigger than anyone's I'd ever seen, so needless to say, we didn't exactly get along. At least I was there to pop it when no one else would. Make his airhead shrink a little.

"It's not your fault." I assured her, then I started to get dressed. Iz and I had known each other forever, so changing wasn't a big deal at all. For courtesy's sake, she turned around, letting me put on my underwear and robe unwatched. I did so, plopping down on her bed afterwards. When she knew I was fully ready, she sat down next to me, "So Simon said he's on his way." The second I said my other best friend's name, her eyes lit up a fraction. She tried to hide it, and I pretended like I didn't notice for her own peace of mind. This had been going on for a while. A long while. Simon had straight out confessed to me that he was falling in love with Izzy a long time ago. Isabelle, however, was a harder nut to crack. I didn't tell her about Simon's feelings, because they needed to figure out their stuff on their own. It was just taking an annoyingly long time.

"That's great!" She was trying to contain her excitement, but it wasn't quite working. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, instead opting to grab a piece of candy from the secret stash under her pillow, "I can't believe I convinced you guys to go." Isabelle spoke after a minute of comfortable silence. Actually, it hadn't really been her. Simon was the one who literally got on his hands and knees to beg me for the sole purpose of seeing Izzy in a short dress. I'm guessing he didn't remember that she would most likely been dancing with other guys. That would probably be to get him jealous enough to say something, but I knew Simon, and I knew that he was _not_ the confrontational type.

In other words, they were both shockingly oblivious.

"I can." I muttered under my breath in response, more to myself than her. I'd always been a sucker for the two, but Simon's puppy dog eyes got me more than anything else. Isabelle must've heard me though, because she tossed me an odd look, "Well get dressed." My words had the intended effect, which was to distract her, and she ran over to her closet. She leafed through her thousands of dresses until she finally got to the perfect one for her. As soon as she found it, she pulled it out, holding it up to her body for me to see, "It looks great." I gave her a thumbs up, and she smiled, putting it on without a word. She looked amazing. Then again, with her dark eyes, dark hair, long legs, and slender body, she _always_ looked amazing.

"Your turn." She smirked, and I groaned, "C'mon." Iz urged, pulling me to my feet. I complied with a huff as she shoved a black dress into my arms. Rather than putting up a fuss, which would've been useless, I slipped it on, not risking a glance in the mirror until I was done. What I saw was nothing out of the ordinary. My unkempt, bright red hair ran down my back. My grass green eyes stared back. As I said, nothing new, "Time for hair and makeup." Izzy announced, and I whipped around to face her.

"You didn't say _anything_ about hair and makeup." I was panicking inside. Completely panicking, because I hated it with a burning passion. It all just felt like my face was covered in a mask, but I knew there was no way out of it. My downfall was approaching. It was just a matter of how long I could stall, "Are you sure you don't want to do yours first?" I offered, the picture of innocent. All she did was stare at me blandly, "Fine." I mumbled, hoping she wouldn't hear the word. Judging by her cheer, she did.

"Let's go." She grabbed my hand, dragging me into the bathroom. I unwillingly sat down on the stool she brought over, and she spun me to face away from the mirror, "No peeking until we're done." I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand, stopping me. My lips fell into a pout, but it changed absolutely nothing, "Now let the beautifying begin." With that, she began brushing and combing and curling and pinning and a whole bunch of other stuff I would rather her not do. It seemed like an eternity before she stepped back, a proud look on her face, "Well, see if you like it." I turned toward the reflective glass, barely holding back a gasp when I saw the girl staring back at me. This honestly had to be the best job she'd ever done, "Voila." She said with a grand gesture, and that was when a slew of noises escaped me.

"That's amazing, Iz." I whispered, touching my face to make sure it was real, "Just for that, I'll let you put me in heels." She squealed like a kid on Christmas morning, grabbing my hand and yanking me off the chair. I stumbled, almost falling, but luckily, I caught myself before I face planted. She didn't even stop, instead opting to let me almost fall without acknowledgement. Yet again, she ran to her closet (how the actual _hell_ could she run in that tight dress?) and pulled out a pair of strappy black shoes. I sighed, just realizing what I'd gotten myself into, but I couldn't take the words back, so I plopped down on the bed, slipping the shoes on my feet.

"Now hold on." She told me as if i could _possibly_ start walking alone in these monstrosities. Then, she shot into the bathroom. I got lost in my head, thinking about nothing in particular, until she walked back into the bedroom. My jaw dropped when I saw her, as always, "How do I look?" Despite Izzy's confident nature, I knew she was still self-conscious, as was any other teenager, but she hid it well. Not from me though. Or Simon, for that matter.

"Absolutely fabulous!" I smiled wide as she put on her own heeled boots, then she started for the door. Obviously, she'd forgotten that I needed a while to get used to even standing, but she quickly remembered, rushing back to me and offering a hand.

"Up you go." I got to my feet, and she held my waist to steady me as I wobbled. Needless to say, I was used to tennis shoes, not these... things. After several minutes of gaining my balance, she released me, and I took slow, careful steps to the door, "By the angel, Fray." Isabelle let out a noise of frustration, "Kick it up a notch." I glared at her, but picked up my speed a little bit. Surprisingly, I didn't topple to the ground. Not yet, at least. When we got to the stairs, I stopped cold, eyeing them balefully, "Clarissa." She pinched the bridge of her nose, "You can do this." I mimicked her in a high pitched voice, and she rolled her eyes. She pushed me toward the staircase, just hard enough to move me, but soft enough that I wouldn't fall down them and break my neck. On the first step, I gripped the banister like a lifeline, climbing my way unsteadily down until I reached the bottom. I could've kissed the floor in glee, but then I probably wouldn't be able to get up.

After that incident, we rounded the corner to the living room, where a demon was laying on the couch and reading a book. Luckily, Alec was there too, so he couldn't try anything, but I regretted saying it was lucky a second later.

"Oh _hell_ no." He growled when he saw us, "Where do you think you're going looking like that?"

"To Magnus Bane's party." Isabelle shrugged like her brother's glare couldn't scare the devil at the moment, "We'll probably be back late, so bye."

"I don't know who Magnus Bane is, and I don't care." Alec hissed, not about to relent, "You aren't going to _any_ party."

"Just let them." Jace drawled, not bothering to look up at us, "You know they'll do it anyways." Alec shot his brother a hard glance, but Jace paid no heed. It took a second of contemplation, but Alec sighed. I knew he would relent, and I sighed. Him refusing to let us out would've been my only escape, but that had failed miserably. Stupid Alec and his stupid irrational thinking. He crossed his arms, not giving his approval vocally, but we all knew it was there. Alec Lightwood wasn't the one to put up a fight with his sister, because he always ended up losing. It was honestly sad, seeing as he was already in college.

 _Coward_. I thought with disdain.

"Are you sure you want to go dressed like _that?"_ He clenched his jaw, clearly wanting a 'No', but that wasn't going to happen. Not in a million years. If Isabelle Lightwood had her mind set on something, she would get it, no matter what. I mentally begged Alec to do something though, wishing hopelessly that something would miraculously drive him to stand up to her. That obviously didn't happen.

"How are they dressed?" Finally, Jace decided to grace us with the sight of his golden eyes, which, to my surprise, widened a fraction when they landed on us. It was only a millisecond, but I swear I saw it. Then again, I could be totally and completely hallucinating. That was probably the best option to go with. Even if it _had_ happened, it was probably shock at Izzy for being dressed the way she was, but his expression smoothed out before I could really tell. Then, he walked over to us, coming to stand in front of me. I knew nothing good would come of it, and I was right as he looked me up and down and snorted, "And I'm guessing you think you look good, Shortcake?" He phrased it as a question, and my muscles tensed as if I was getting ready to pounce.

"Yes, as a matter of fact." I tightened my fists into balls as he chuckled, rolling his eyes, "Do you have something to tell me, Lightwood?" My voice was venomous, but all he did was smirk.

"No." He shrugged, "I don't." I frowned, and Iz grabbed my hand, squeezing it once before dropping it and heading to the door without a word. I began to go after her, but it seemed like she was miles ahead of me as I tried and failed to quicken my pace. Suddenly, someone's hand was on my shoulder, and I jumped, consequently tripping. I twisted, hoping to land on my back, but my descent was halted. I found myself pulled against someone else, his arm wrapped around my waist. I looked into golden irises, and I tensed in shock. Jace and I never usually got this close. It was only on occasions that he was doing something to me like pulling my hair. And that wasn't restricted to when we were kindergarteners. He did it last week.

"Did I scare you?" Jace whispered, and I blinked at him, unable to form words because I was still too stunned, "Shortcake?" He snorted, and I was snapped back to the present. I was about to push him off when I was suddenly hit with the smell of... Mangos? I'd never gotten close enough to smell Jace, but now, it hit me like a freight train. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, because I'd never seen him put on cologne. Maybe it was after shave, and why the _hell_ was I thinking about that when there was clearly a bigger problem at hand. And by that, I meant that Jace was still holding me. Insert shiver, and not a good one, "Has my inhuman beauty rendered you speechless?" The fact that he only raised one eyebrow drew me out of my thinking.

I put my hands on his chest, fully intending to push him away, but then, one of _his_ hands moved toward my face. I was frozen, completely and utterly frozen because of how much this was weirding me out. His fingers brushed my cheek momentarily before continuing their path toward the back of my head. I had no idea what he was doing until my hair came tumbling down my shoulders. I briefly wondered how slowly Isabelle would murder him for doing that, but I was quickly distracted when he ran his fingers through my curls. Then, he released me, stepping back with a self-righteous grin as if he _hadn't_ just done all that.

"Much better." I thought I heard him murmur, but he was gone before I could question anything. I briefly toyed with the option of abandoning Isabelle to interrogate him. Soon, I realized that it would be a very bad idea though. Izzy would kill me, and I would probably get absolutely nothing out of Jace, so I turned around, making my way toward the door silently.

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 **Ooooh Clace magic already?! It can't be! Not in a million years, because our dear Shadowhunter5801 wouldn't do it** _ **that**_ **fast!**

 **Alas... 'Tis true. To be honest, I just threw that there as bait at the beginning. It won't be like BOOM THEY LOVE EACH OTHER LET THEM LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER in three or four chapters. No, you shall have to wait, my faithfuls (Insert evil laughter). I just wanted to... spice things up a bit from the beginning. Set the mood. ANYWAYS, I hope you guys liked it.**

 **Question of the chapter: On a scale of 1-10, how much did page 511 of City of Lost Souls break your heart? No spoilers please, but you can mention how hard you cried ;)**

 **Goodbye for now, my faithfuls!**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hola, Mis Amigos! Okay, so currently, I am sitting in my backyard with my neighbors' dogs because they dug their way out of their yard. They also might dig their way out of** _ **my**_ **yard if I don't watch them, hence why I am braving the outdoors. I also have bronchitis, so yippee on that front. At least it means I get to write though! Still not fun, but- Okay now the dog is jumping around trying to eat a fly. That made my day. Anyways... ONTO THE STORY**

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"What took you so long?" Isabelle whined when I finally got to Simon's car, where both of my best friends were waiting. All I did was wave her question off, and she narrowed her eyes. I couldn't have spoken if I wanted to, still too freaked to say anything.

"Hey, Clare!" Simon said brightly, ever so oblivious to what had just transpired. I smiled slightly at him, but that was the only real greeting he got. Now, he looked suspicious too, but I honestly didn't care about it at the moment. Right now, I was worried about the fact that I had absolutely no idea what just happened. There were no words to describe how utterly astounded I was, because that had literally come out of nowhere. That was when my rational side kicked in.

 _He was just trying to mess with you._ I told myself, _And for once, he came out on top._ It took me way too long to have that epiphany. Needless to say, I was mentally slapping myself. And Jace. Definitely Jace. I forced my grin to grow, clapping like I was excited and motioning to the car. Their wariness seemed to evaporate at my expression. Well, Isabelle's did fully, but Simon's wasn't all the way gone. I saw the silent question in his eyes, then shook my head minutely, indicating that I wasn't about to spill. He sighed, but turned away, walking over to the driver's side and sliding in.

"You can have the front seat today." Finally, my brain remembered how to talk, and Izzy squealed happily. She engulfed me in a hug, and I gripped her shoulders tightly as she rocked us from side to side. The second she began to let go, I drifted precariously to the left. Right as I teetered the tiniest bit too far, about to crash to the ground, she grabbed me. She held on until I regained my balance, but when she knew I was good, she bounded over to the car, hopping inside. I walked with a little bit more grace than before to the back, slipping into it and clicking my seatbelt. Right when my eyes landed on the two as they chattered, I knew that giving up shotgun was for the better. They both had idiotically huge smiles on their faces as Simon began to drive as I sat in the back, alone and forgotten. Not that I minded, because it gave me time to freak out.

 _What the actual_ hell _happened?_

 _Is that supposed to mean something?_

 _No, Clarissa Adele Fray._ My brain assured me, _It meant nothing, and you need to stop thinking about it. Like, now._

Apparently, the few thoughts had been running through my head for a long time, because before I knew it, music was filtering through the windows. I snapped back to attention, taking a deep breath as Simon opened the door for me like a true gentleman. Sure, I had been to a party before, due to Isabelle's incessant pleading and forcible dragging, but never something as big as _Magnus Bane's_ party. I had only heard stories, but those that had reached my ears were nothing but terrifying.

"You ready, Clare?" Izzy moved in front of our other best friend, offering me a hand. All I could do was nod, then scoot my way out until my feet hit the ground. With that, Iz and Simon were hauling me unwillingly onto the street. I was starting to majorly second guess myself, and I found myself trying to tug out of their grasps, retreating into the car. Surprisingly, Isabelle wasn't the one who yanked me into her chest. It was Simon.

"If I have to suffer, so do you, Fray." He growled through gritted teeth, too low for the raven haired girl to hear. I hissed a number of curses, but by then, he knew I'd given in. To my great pleasure, I didn't fall when he let go. I _actually_ stood straight up.

 _Go Clary,_ My thoughts sang, _Go Clary. Go, go, go Clary._

"Clarissa Adele Fray!" The shout, courtesy of Isabelle, drew me out of my head. I took a deep breath, pulling my shoulders back and walking purposefully toward the party. It wasn't hard to tell which one, considering it was the only house with music blaring. Honestly, I was surprised that the police hadn't been called yet, because, judging by the teenagers passed out on the lawn, this had been going on for a while. Then again, people were talking about Magnus' parties at least once a month, so the neighbors must've gotten used to it. I couldn't help but be a little disappointed at that, since that probably would've been my only escape considering my friends' behaviors in the past few minutes. It didn't take long for the other two to catch up with me, and soon, they were ahead. I struggled to keep up, but there was no way I would be able to walk that fast, so I reached out, grabbing their arms and screeching us to a halt.

"If you both leave me, I swear I will kill you slowly." I threatened meaningfully. Isabelle's eyes widened a fraction, but Simon's just rolled. That earned him a glare courtesy of yours truly.

"I'm not scared of you, Clare Bear." He stated proudly, and I stomped up to him surprisingly menacingly, my slight anger enough to defy my high heels. Fear flashed in his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came. I still smirked, because even though he tried to hide it, it was there. Both of my eyebrows shot up. "Fine." He relented, "We won't leave you." I had the strongest feeling that wouldn't be true. Granted, it would probably be unintentional, but I would still be on my own.

"Let's go." Isabelle urged, not waiting for my nor Simon's responses as she began walking. I groaned, subtly eyeing the car, and I wondered if I would be able to get to the car first if I had the element of surprise on my side. Judging by the way Simon grabbed me and started to tug me along, the element wasn't so surprising. Then again, I probably would've broken my ankles if I tried to run, entirely defeating the purpose of the action. I didn't have a choice as I was taken hostage and dragged to the house.

When we opened the door, stepping inside, it was like we'd been transported to a new dimension. Music blared, vibrating the floor and pounding my heart along with the beat. People were everywhere, and I mean _everywhere_. It was like pushing through the crowded NYC sidewalk just to get passed the foyer. It wasn't the _cleanest_ place I'd been in my life-both figuratively and literally-but there was something like a thrill that sparked in my veins, travelling from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Never had I been to a party this big, but it was like a rush had taken over me as a smile spread on my lips. I turned to find the same giddy look on Izzy's face, but Simon's expression was nowhere near elated. He looked wary and a slight bit disgusted.

"Oh lighten up." Isabelle nudged him with her elbow when she saw his expression, "Let loose for once." He opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, but that was when Iz grabbed his hand. His eyes flicked down, and I could see the pleasure in them at the simple gesture. To be honest, it was probably because she started tugging him through the people. I grabbed his arm in attempt to follow, stumbling as people bumped into me on both sides. All of a sudden, we stopped, and I peeked over to Simon's shoulder to see why. When I saw the reason we'd halted, my smile grew even wilder. I stepped out from behind Simon to be met with the sight of a very sparkly boy.

"Darlings!" Somehow, even as he had to raise it over the music, Magnus' voice was smooth as silk. He lightly hugged all of us, kissing our cheeks-including Simon, who looked pretty awkward in the process, "You look stunning." His catlike eyes sparkled, and I was surprised to find that they were trained on me, "I'm guessing this is Isabelle's work?" He phrased it as a question, and I nodded vigorously. Magnus looked me up and down appreciatively once more, but it wasn't in the hungry fashion that most guys would. He was truly admiring what Izzy had done.

"Thank you." I smiled, cheeks red hot, because getting a fashion compliment from _Magnus Bane_ was rare. Then again, he'd become part of our group at the beginning of this year, so I had a feeling he might feel obligated. As if reading my mind, he tutted.

"I don't give praise unless I mean it." He assured me with a grin. We both turned to congratulate Iz, only to find that both she and Simon were gone. I cursed under my breath, causing Magnus to chuckle and shake his head. Like the mature seventeen year old I am, I made a face at him, which only made him laugh harder. Suddenly, the excitement drained out of me as I realized that, as soon as Magnus had to greet others, I was totally alone. There was no way I would be able to find either of my best friends in this place, so I was hopeless.

"Don't worry, Darling." Magnus spoke, and my attention snapped back to him, "I'll be your knight in sparkly armor. Just stay with me and try not to fall in those beautiful shoes." Of course he had to point out my inability to walk at the moment. I shot him a playful glare as he began to lead me to an unknown destination, "We're here." He announced, and I looked at him questioningly. He gestured to my right, and gaze flicked that way to find a bar.

"You know I don't drink..." I trailed off with raised eyebrows. Obviously, he hadn't brought me here for alcohol, "What dirty gossip are you dying to tell me?" My teasing was met with rolled eyes, and I smirked, knowing I was spot on.

"It's not exactly gossip." He moved closer to me so I could hear him without others doing the same, "I talked to _him_ for the first time." My jaw dropped at his words, and for a second, I just stared at him in shock.

"Your ever present mystery of a crush 'him'?!" I questioned loudly, and the look he shot me clearly communicated that I needed to tone it down. He nodded shortly after, "What happened?" This time, I made sure to speak softer.

"Well." Magnus' eyes gleamed with mischief, "I told him he had pretty eyes, and he mumbled a 'Thank you'. Then, he walked away red faced, flustered, and frankly adorable." Magnus looked so proud of himself, and I couldn't help but snort. He didn't look offended in the least, but rather his expression brightened, "The look on his face? Absolutely priceless."

"Did you happen to say 'Hello' first?" I asked, already knowing the answer full and well. He turned to me, amusement clear on his face, "I'll take that as a no." He nodded affirmatively, and I shook my head with a smile. Of course he didn't. Magnus Bane would never pass up the chance to shock someone to the core, and saying 'Hello' would've softened the blow, making it less fun for him. It was pretty entertaining, but at times, it could get him into trouble. He never seemed to care though, "Are you ever going to tell any of us his _name_?" I questioned, "If you've already talked to the guy, then what's the point in hiding?"

"All in due time, Clarissa." He responded cryptically, "All in due time." I shoved him lightly, then whined for him to tell me some more. The answer was always the same though. Every single time. Even when I told him he was breaking the friend code, he just smirked, probably enjoying my relentless curiosity.

"Fine." I relented after what seemed like an eternity of begging and pleading, "Be that way." He ruffled my hair, and that just made me remember that it was down. Isabelle must've been too excited about the party to notice, and even _I_ had forgotten. Now, it hit me full fledge, and I was just thankful that neither of my best friends were here to witness my brief internal panic. However, it didn't escape Magnus' radar.

"Is there something _you_ need to tell _me_?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest, clearly pleased with the position he'd put me in. I waved him off with a dismissive hand, mumbling something incoherent, but he wasn't about to take that, "You shouldn't ask if you don't want to tell." He pointed out, and I groaned.

"Please don't make me do this, Mags." My voice was pleading, but he wasn't having it. All he had to do was stare for me to break. It was honestly pathetic, but the second the surprise had worn off, I'd wanted to tell someone, just to get it out. I couldn't tell Isabelle, because Jace was her _brother_ , and she would probably castrate him for pulling a move on me. Then again, it probably couldn't be classified as a move. Or maybe it could. _Anyways_ , I couldn't tell Simon, because he would totally freak then tell Isabelle, which would have the same result, "JaceandIhadamomentthingy." The words came out in a rush, smashed together in a way that couldn't be discerned.

"You and Jace had a 'Moment thingy'?" Leave it to Magnus to be able to understand exactly what I'd said, with air quotes to top it off. I nodded, and he motioned for me to explain. After taking a deep breath, I began.

"So Isabelle originally had my hair in an updo." Was what I started with, and Magnus' interest already seemed to be piqued, "I was walking to the door alone, because Iz and Simon had left me behind, and all of a sudden, someone's hand was on my shoulder. I got surprised, and I tripped, totally thinking I was about to faceplant. I twisted so that my back would hit the ground, but suddenly, Jace _freaking_ Lightwood had his arm around my waist and was pulling me into his chest.

"I can't even remember what he said, but I was about to push him off. Then, he had to go brush my cheek all delicately and stuff. He ended up taking my hair down and running his fingers through it. At the end, when he finally stepped back, he was all 'Much better' and left." I panted after telling the long, fast story. When I looked to see what Magnus was thinking, his face betrayed nothing, save for the way his lips curled at the corners the tiniest bit. I waited for what seemed like forever, then got fed up with his silence, "Say something!" My voice was slightly shrill, because recounting the event made it all the more real. I really shouldn't have been freaking out this much. It wasn't that big of a deal, but it seemed like it was to me.

"I don't exactly remember saying 'Much better'." I whipped around at the voice, only to come face to face with my worst nightmare. Well, face to chest was more accurate, but that was _not_ the thing to focus on at the moment. As soon as I realized who was standing there, I glanced back toward Magnus to give him a piece of my mind for not telling me, but the sparkly boy was gone. That forced me to face my doom. Well, that and my doom spinning me to look at himself.

"What are you doing here, Lightwood?" I hissed through a clenched jaw, and he raised an eyebrow.

"I wanted to come to a party." He shrugged, an evil gleam in his eyes.

"Bullshit." I called him out without hesitation. Then, it dawned on me, "You and Alec came to watch us, didn't you?" His smug silence was my answer, and I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. Why? Why couldn't I have one fun night away from the devil? "How long were you standing there?" I growled, not really wanting to know the answer. Judging by the look on his face, he'd heard from the very beginning.

"What's a 'Moment thingy'?" He fired back, and I huffed, a frown growing on my face. I didn't respond, but that obviously wasn't the right choice, because Jace Lightwood was a persistent person, and he was used to getting what he wanted, especially from girls. What was the one thing he used to get it? Every single time? His charm. Luckily, that was something I was immune to. Well, judging by earlier today, it could also freak me the hell out, but I would never fall for it. Not in a million years.

Jace seemed to forget that fact, because he slid closer to me. I started to take a step back, but he put a hand on my hip, something twinkling in those golden eyes of his. Yet again, tried to escape, but his other hand was on my other hip, effectively rendering any movement useless. He pulled me against him, and I hissed a number of profanities under my breath. This was _not_ how I'd wanted this party to end up. I hadn't gone in with a bright outlook, and that was rightly so. I silently scolded myself for getting lost in the atmosphere for even a minute.

"Okay, what are you doing?" I asked flatly, passed weirded out and more at the 'Get the hell away from me' point. He didn't say a thing, just smirked. My toe tapped impatiently as I waited for him to reveal his motive, but nothing happened. I had the strongest feeling that he was waiting to make his move until I got pissed off and did something. In his eyes, the bigger the reaction, the better, so I wouldn't give him that satisfaction, "Jace." I spoke after a second of silence, voice low and dangerous, "Either leave, or tell me what you're doing."

"Dance with me." He murmured, looking straight into my eyes, and I snorted.

"What are you trying to do? Seduce me?" So few words, so much sarcasm. If I'm being totally honest, part of me thought Jace would give me a sultry 'Yes', but the bigger part expected the _actual_ reaction. Him laughing. This time, it wasn't one of those hold-your-stomach kind of laughs though. It was more of a light, airy laugh, "Hey." I said indignantly, "It could happen."

"In your dreams, Shortcake." He shook his head with a smile, and I noticed that, while he said that, he was _still_ holding onto me. And he'd _still_ asked me to dance with him.

"What's your game, Lightwood?" I growled, my almost nonexistent patience dwindling fast.

"Less of a game." He tilted his head to the side, for once thinking about his words, "More of an experiment." My jaw dropped. Oh _hell_ no. Most guys, if they were doing this exact same thing, would go about it in a more subtle way. It would be equally as bad, but not this insulting. I was honestly about to knee him in the family jewels when he leaned closer, and that was when it happened. I smelled it. There was the sweet tang of one of Magnus' special drinks on his breath. He was smashed without even realizing it.

If there was a rule of thumb at any Magnus Bane party, it was this: Do not drink the colorful mixes unless you wanted to get drunk. Seeing as Alec and Jace hadn't taken the time to really meet Mags in the first place, they had no idea about that rule. All things considered, I didn't feel bad for them. Actually, I was looking forward to the way Jace's head would hurt in the morning. Alec's state was to be determined. I had less of a vengence against him though, so I wasn't as bloodthirsty for his demise.

"Disprove my theory." Jace's voice drew me back to where I was supposed to be. I narrowed my eyes in question, slightly surprised that a drunk person could say those words and have them make sense, "I'm conducting an experiment." He clarified, "And I have a theory. We both know what it is, so disprove it, and I'll let you go on your merry way." I tried to yank myself free, fully ready to smack him in the face, but his grip on my waist tightened. My entire body deflated, because I knew he wouldn't release me unless I agreed and meant it. He had this freaky sixth sense that knew when I was lying, so it would do me no good to even try. The second he saw the resignation in me, a full blown smile spread across his face.

"Let's go." He whispered in my ear, breath hitting my skin. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath in order to keep myself from punching him. Then, I started putting one foot in front of the other, away from the bar, and toward the dancefloor. As he led me through the crowd, fingers now reluctantly intertwined with mine, a nervousness rose up inside me.

It was a nervousness whispering that this dance would start something far bigger than one little experiment, and oh how right I was.

* * *

 **So, it seems like a little Clace magic might happen, eh? *raises eyebrows* (because I, like our dear Clarissa, am incapable of raising only one) Or will it? Keep in mind that Jace is drunk and Clary's sober. If it was the other way around,** _ **then**_ **questionable actions might ensue, but let's put some faith in our Clary. She's a strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man! (yet).**

 **Question of the chapter: Who's your celebrity crush? (Mine is probably either Alex Pettyfer or Chace Crawford)**

 **UNTIL NEXT TIME, MY FAITHFULS**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Shadowhunter5801**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello my people! I have returned with (sadly) a filler chapter. Things and stuff needed to be explained... So... Yeah. ANYWAYS...just a little thing about me... Long story short, I wrote a book. I ordered three copies of said book in hardback for me and my parents (BECAUSE CHRISTMAS). I have been freaking out since Saturday night (AKA when I got them). Oh! And all I have to say is look for my upcoming story "Live Again". It'll be under a different account:** _ **imfihlelo...**_ **But back to the fic... I have a feeling you guys might like awkward Alec XD (I do)... So... ON WITH THE STORY!**

 **(Wait, one more thing... If you guys answer the question of the chapter and go through with the challenge... I may or may not throw in some Jace POV chapters to give a little more understanding ;) )**

* * *

"Good morning!" I yelled as Jace walked into the kitchen. He glared at me, clutching his head in pain, and I laughed maniacally. It was, without a doubt, payback for his little 'Experiment' last night. Ah, the experiment. Long story short, Jace forced me out on the dancefloor. We danced for a while-not my choice, of course. He kept telling me to actually _dance_ with him, meaning getting down and dirty. This went on for a while, and finally I got fed up with it, so I did a very mild version of what he asked. Then, a few minutes later, it led to what we finally did after years of being this way with each other...

Nothing.

It led to absolutely nothing. After what seemed like an eternity of him making me stay, a slow song came on. Needless to say, that was the end of it. His theory was disproven. I was happy. He was not. End of story.

I began to cook breakfast-for me, not him-making a point to be as loud as possible. He huffed out a sigh, but sat down at the counter anyways. My first instinct was to kick him out, but then, I realized that I could have some fun with this.

"So!" I raised my voice to a much higher volume than necessary, "How are you this morning?" He frowned, his eyes so cold they could freeze over hell, "What?" I asked, almost skipping around the room, "Is someone not feeling good?" My smile grew into a shit eating grin, and his face turned even stormier. After I slid my eggs and toast on a plate, I turned to find him still sitting there. I walked over to the stool beside his, making a point to let the food drift right under his nose. It was intended to make him jealous, but instead, he looked like he was about to puke at the mere smell. Either way, it had the desired effect of making him suffer.

"You are a demon from hell." Jace muttered under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear him. Did he honestly think he could pull a stunt like that and get away with it? I think not. Sometimes, I questioned his decision making skills. Actually, I did all the time, especially last night, which was probably one of the weirdest nights of my life in regards to him. I moved closer to him, just to worsen the effect of what I was about to do.

"What?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, and he flinched, his hands flying up to cover his ears, "I didn't hear you!"

"But the whole neighborhood heard _you_." A new voice supplied, and I turned to see Isabelle smirking at the two of us, "I see you're torturing my brother." I nodded proudly, causing her to snort. Then, she pulled out the stool next to mine, plopping down and reaching for my toast. I smacked her hand away hard, and she pouted, cradling it to her chest like I'd honestly hurt her, "You're being more of a hellion than normal to him." She pointed out after a second of faking being offended, "What gives?" I opened my mouth to tell her what had happened when I realized something. She would skin him alive. And probably dunk him in lemon juice when she was done. Even _Jace_ shouldn't be subjected to that type of torture, so I stopped before I spoke.

"Nothing." I shrugged, trying to play it off nonchalantly. Judging by the way Isabelle narrowed her eyes, it wasn't going well. My gaze flicked to Jace, and to my surprise, there was no fear in his golden irises, like he wasn't scared of his sister. Instead, his eyebrow was raised, as if he was questioning my choice to withhold the information. Well, if he was going to look at me like that, it was his funeral, "Jace just tried to do an 'Experiment' on me." As usual, I threw in the air quotes, because air quotes are important. That was probably not the thing I should focus on at the moment though. His entire face fell, and that was when the terror seemed to strike. I returned my eyes to Isabelle, whose jaw had dropped to the floor.

"He what now?" Her voice was low and dangerous, more so than it normally would be if she was angry. That was when it occurred to me that she wasn't _angry._ Oh, no. She was _furious_ , "Jace, sibling talk. Now." The words left no room for refusal, but to my surprise, he didn't follow the order. To the credit of his sanity, it looked like he was paralyzed out of panic, "Would you rather we do this in front of Clary?"

"Yes." Was his shocking response, "I need a witness in case you murder me."

"Please." I laughed lightly, shaking my head, "I'll help hide your body." Then, he had the decency to flip me off. Normally, I would've reamed him out, but his fate had already been sealed, so anything I said would just delay his death.

"Don't test me, Jonathan Christopher Lightwood." Oh shit, she pulled out the full name. That was always the worst sign, and it almost made me regret tattling. Almost, "I am giving you five seconds." She hissed. That seemed to snap him into action, because he jumped to his feet. Without another glance back, she walked outside, and Jace shot me one last glare before following. Wow, hangover _and_ an livid Izzy. Sucks to be him.

"Hi, Clary!" An excited voice called, and I whipped around to see someone running at me full force. I braced myself for impact, still stumbling back a few steps when I caught the smallest Lightwood boy. He was almost too heavy for me to hold, but I somehow managed. After spinning him in a circle, I dropped him onto his feet, and he stepped back to look at me.

"Hey, Max! How was the sleepover?" I asked him with a smile, the boy's presence only adding to my current happiness.

"It was awesome..." That began the next half hour of Max chattering on and on about everything he and his friends had done. As always, he was so animated when he spoke, his hands flying every which way. It was always so fun just _seeing_ him, because I didn't have to say a word for him to launch into a conversation, "Where are the others?" He questioned when he was finished, and a devious smile crossed my face.

"Well, Jace and Izzy are having a..." I cleared my throat, "Talk. And Alec-"

"Is it the 'Clary is off limits' thing again?" The question made me confused, and I tilted my head to the side, having no idea what he was talking about. That was when his blue eyes widened, and his hand shot up to cover his mouth. Suddenly, it looked like he was totally freaking out, but I didn't know why. The more shocking thing at hand was what he'd said though.

"What, exactly, do you mean?" I leaned forward in interest, and his look of fear turned to one of constipation. Normally, I would've laughed, but this new information had piqued my curiosity. Max started shaking his head vigorously, causing me to raise my eyebrows. The thing about Max was that he was the only Lightwood who could never lie to me. He would always- _always-_ break, no matter if he was supposed to or not. Surprisingly, he jumped to his feet, about to make a beeline out of the room, but I grabbed his arm, halting his escape.

"Oh, Maxie..." I sang, knowing exactly what would get him, "Maybe-if you tell me what's going on-we can have a Marvel marathon." At that, he stopped trying to tug free from my grip, and I smirked. Bingo. What shocked me to the core was that, after a second of contemplation, he began to struggle again. Oh this must be bad if he was this determined to keep it a secret, "Max, please." I pleaded, "I mean, it involves me, so don't I deserve to know?" My voice was soft as I feigned sadness, and he sighed, turning back to face me.

"Isabelle told me not to spill..." Max trailed off, but he knew I would protect him from Izzy's rage, "But she's given that talk to him a couple times." Sudden anger spiked up in me. Ignoring the fact that I would never date Jace in a million years, who was Isabelle to tell _anyone_ that they could or couldn't date me? Then again, it was _Jace_ in question, so I could see her concern. I just didn't know why she wouldn't trust me to not fall for his charm.

"Why would she give him that 'talk'?" My voice was tentative, because for some reason, I didn't know if I truly wanted the answer. Jace _liking_ me would make things weird. Well, it would probably be more along the lines of getting me in bed, not having _actual_ feelings for me.

"It started when you had that crush on him for a little bit..." Max trailed off as if testing my reaction to his statement.

"What?" I squawked indignantly, "I have _never_ had a crush on Jace." Max leveled me with a flat look that a ten year old shouldn't be able to form. He must have learned it from his brother. Not the nice one, the blonde one. I _was_ lying though, even though I tried to deny it to myself. It was true that I'd had a teeny, tiny attraction to him last year. Not necessarily his personality, but no one could deny how perfect he seemed on the outside, save for the chip in his front tooth. The giant obstacle was his ego though, hence why it had ended so fast. I knew for a fact that Jace and I would never work out. Ever.

"Fine." I growled, my voice almost to low to be heard, "I had a crush on Jace for like a week." I found myself admitting it not just to myself, but to the youngest Lightwood too. And never again would I say those words. Suddenly, Max started... smiling? I gestured for him to answer my silent question.

"I may or may not have won a few dollars off of Alec..." He laughed nervously. My lips quickly settled into a frown, but panic soon followed. I grabbed Max's shoulders, looking straight into his eyes. He seemed a little rattled by my sudden contact, but considering what he'd done, I didn't feel too bad about it.

"You can _never_ tell _anyone_." My voice was frantic.

"Never tell anyone what?" The voice scared the crap out of me, and I whipped around to be met with the sight of none other than Alec Lightwood. The confusion on his face told me that he hadn't heard what I'd said, so it looked like I was in the clear at the moment. I shot Max a look, communicating that, if he spilled, he would be dead.

"Nothing." I smiled sweetly, and Alec narrowed his eyes. He looked like he was about to interrogate me, but I crossed my arms over my chest, and he got the message that I wouldn't be answering anytime soon, "So how was the party?" My question drew us away from the topic at hand. There was a tiny bit of venom in my voice at Alec's lack of trust when we decided to go to Magnus', but he was most likely just being his normal protective self. Still, he winced a fraction, and I sighed, shaking my head, "You're forgiven." I mumbled reluctantly, causing his shoulders to sag with relief. Then, a blush began to light up his cheeks. A Cheshire Cat smile began to spread across my face, and at that moment, Isabelle and Jace walked back inside. Jace looked surprisingly together considering the lecture he'd just gotten, but I knew it was just a facade. Isabelle, on the other hand, looked much happier.

"What's going on?" She asked, eyeing my expression cautiously, "Please say Alec didn't do something too." The oldest Lightwood looked like he was on the verge of asking, but I cut him off before he could.

"He was just about to tell us about what happened at the party." At my words, he glared. His face was growing red, not just pink. Beet red.

"You got a girl, didn't you?" Jace smirked, and if it was possible, Alec grew even redder. All of our jaws dropped, because what Jace had said was clearly a joke. Judging by Alec's lack of response, it was true. Suddenly, he shook his head slowly, causing all of us to narrow our eyes, "Okay, so you didn't _get_ a girl." Jace relented, but I could tell he wasn't done, "One at least hit on you though." Alec's mouth bobbed open and closed, giving us our answer, "Dude! What did she say?" Jace was suddenly more chipper, despite his hangover.

"Just that I had pretty eyes." Alec mumbled, probably attempting for it to be too jumbled for us to hear, "Then I kinda just said 'Thank you' and walked away."

"Why would you say no to that?" Jace asked incredulously, "You're in college. You need to at least _try_ for something." The blue eyed boy looked like he was about to say something, but for some reason, he stopped dead. I didn't know why though. I mean, it wasn't a bad thing to get hit on by a-

Right at that moment, it struck me. No. _No_. It couldn't be...

"What's her name at least?" Jace asked, sounding the tiniest bit exasperated at his brother's inaction.

"Ma-" Alec cut himself off, stopping and thinking for a second, "Maggie." Well, that confirmed it. It was true, but he was trying to hide it. I didn't know why until it occurred to me that maybe he... Wait a second, I needed to stop that train of thought right there. Alec Lightwood was straight. He'd never shown any interest in a guy, so I couldn't give Magnus a hope that would only fail. Still, there was a first for everything. What if Magnus was Alec's first? It would explain his secrecy, because if a guy were to hit on Jace, there was no doubt in my mind that he'd tell us. Then again, Alec was much different than Jace on so many levels.

"She gave you her name?" I raised my eyebrows, "You conveniently left that little tidbit out."

"Um..." He looked like a deer caught in headlights, and had I not been so hungry for information, I would've pitied him. That was when he mumbled something too jumbled for any of us to really make out. Isabelle then prompted him to repeat himself. He sighed, averting his eyes to the ground, "I asked around." So maybe, maybe, he might be just a tiny bit interested too. I mean, if he was _that_ disturbed by it, he would've done everything to forget it, but he'd actually wanted to find out who it was. If that didn't say something, I had no idea what would.

"Yet you didn't do anything with her." Jace stated rhetorically, disappointment present in his tone, "Have I taught you nothing?"

"Remember who's the older sibling." Alec deadpanned, then walked out of the room. Literally, he just walked away, leaving all of us in a state of shock. Namely, me. I decided to do the same, running up to the guest room that had been unofficially deemed as mine and pulling out my phone in the process. As soon as I ran in and shut the door behind me, I scrolled through my phone and picked a certain boy's contact.

"Magnus Bane at your-"

"Alec?!" I shrieked, voice shrill. It came out louder than intended judging by the way said boy burst through the door. He looked pretty concerned, so I offered him a sheepish smile, "I meant to say... uh..." I tried to come up with an excuse, "Malec." It popped out of my mouth, and the exasperated sigh that came through the phone alerting me to my mistake, "Alice." I corrected myself again, waving the Lightwood boy off, "Ignore me." He narrowed his eyes in suspicion, not moving.

"And she sticks the landing." Magnus muttered sarcastically. Had he been here in person, I would've smacked him, but I couldn't exactly do that at the moment. His sass was not appreciated. Despite how much I wanted to tell him to shut up, I knew that wouldn't be a good idea with Alec standing _right there._ I waved the raven haired boy off, and he shot me one last wary glance before reluctantly walking away and letting the door shut behind him.

"Hey, I tried." I hissed, eyeing the door and silently hoping that no one was eavesdropping on the other side, "I didn't mean to blurt out your ship name." Magnus groaned on the other end, making me smirk, "Does someone not like ship names?" I knew for a fact that he didn't, because when I'd used it with Will Herondale, he'd almost killed me. I specifically ignored the fact that he'd never actually _liked_ Will. Alec was a totally different story though.

"No, I don't." Mags mumbled, and I laughed maniacally. Oh, I was going to have fun with this, "You realize he doesn't even know my name, right?" He pointed out, causing me to laugh even more evilly, "Clare... Have you finally gone insane." I mentally debated whether I should tell him about Alec searching or let him find out himself. Surprisingly, I decided on the latter, just to see how things would pan out on their own. There was no doubt that I would break sooner or later, but I hoped it would be late _enough_ for him to figure out himself.

"Don't lose hope." I said cryptically, "That's all I have to say." There was silence as Magnus waited for me to crack, but I held myself back like a pro. After a minute, he got the message that I wouldn't be saying anything, and he huffed.

"How was the 'Experiment'?" He questioned out of nowhere, causing me to suck in a sharp breath, "Did Isabelle find out and give him a talk again?" Even though he couldn't see it, I pouted, "I'll take that as a yes." I could _hear_ the smirk in his voice, and that was when it hit me.

"You knew too?!" This time, it was a _whisper_ -yell, so it didn't attract any attention. Magnus' chuckle radiated through the speaker.

"Anyone in their right mind knew, Darling." He pointed out, and I growled a string of incoherent words. It was true that I probably should've seen it. I mean, she hadn't been _super_ subtle. I guess it was just because I'd never expected her to think Jace was a threat. He had said that I was below his standards many a time, and I hate to admit it, but it was true. Sure, I was pretty, but there was no way I could compete with girls like Aline or Seelie, "You're prettier than you think, Clarissa." Magnus whispered, hitting the nail right on the head.

"Not pretty enough for him." I didn't know for sure why my voice held a twinge of resentment, but I had my suspicions. I'd always felt inferior when I saw the girls Jace brought home, because they were absolutely beautiful. Even though I was 'pretty,' I would never be able to compete. That was something I knew for sure. I wasn't ugly, far from it, but they were out of this world. It wasn't like I wanted Jace though. The insecurity was just in general when I was placed next to people like them.

"Not pretty enough for who?" My head snapped up at the voice, and my eyes met someone else's. Jace's eyebrow was-surprise, surprise-raised, a smirk on his face. I frowned before pointing at my phone and shooing him away. Rather than leaving like I wanted him to, Jace stayed rooted in place, staring at me expectantly. I let out an exasperated sigh, turning away from him, but I knew he was still there. I could tell by the way the hairs on the back of my neck stood up because of his gaze.

"Is that Golden Boy I hear?" Mags questioned, and I nodded. Then, I realized that he could not, in fact, see me, so I grunted something akin to an affirmative, "Well, I feel like I should leave you two be. Au revoir, Darling."

"No! Wait!" I called, but the line had already gone dead. My groan of frustration must've signalled the end of my conversation, because Jace walked over and sat down next to me. Already fed up with him, I huffed out a sigh, climbing to my feet, but a hand shot out and grabbed me. I looked back to find that his fingers were wrapped around my wrist, holding me captive.

"You didn't answer my question." He stated, causing me to roll my eyes, "Does Shortcake have a crush on someone?" His tone was too smug for my liking, so I didn't say a word as I continued to fight his grip. There was no mercy as he stared at me, amusement dancing in his golden irises. Finally, I gave up, realizing that there was no way out of this. Then, something occurred to me.

"Did someone get the 'Off limits' talk?" I fired back, and his face turned a shade whiter. A smug smile found its way onto my lips as I watched him travel back in time to what was probably a dreadful half-hour. A smirk found its way onto my lips, and after seeing that, he snapped back to the present. He mumbled something incoherent under his breath, then huffed out a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly. For a minute, we sat in a tense silence. As soon as I noticed that Jace had unintentionally released me, I started for the door, but he stopped me yet again. I turned to give him a piece of my mind, then the words died on my lips. He looked so serious that I couldn't help but tilt my head in question.

"You're pretty enough for whoever it is, Fray." His words came out clearer than expected, and my eyes widened in shock, "I mean, you're not at _my_ level, but you are at his." My heart didn't know whether to soar or deflate, because he'd majorly contradicted himself without even knowing it. I decided to take it at face value, offering a weak smile. I knew he wouldn't want me to thank him, at least not judging by the little sarcasm he threw in, so I didn't.

But I had a feeling that the way my lips tilted up the tiniest bit at the corners said it all.

* * *

 **So not full on Clace yet, but there are little things thrown in. I realized that last time I** _ **may**_ **have waited a little too long for full on Clace, so I think this fic is gonna move a bit faster. I mean, it won't happen for a while, but sooner. I would swear, but I can't promise anything. What I** _ **can**_ **say is that this will have more twists and turns than The Bachelor did. Like, make you guys hate me twists and turns. Just thought I might give a little warning ;)**

 _ **Question of the Chapter: Who is your inspiration?**_

 _ **Challenge of the Chapter: Tell them and either PM their reaction or leave it in the review!**_

 **Au Revoir My Faithfuls**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	4. Inspiration

**READ IF YOU GUYS WANT SOME JACE POV CHAPTERS!**

 **So, I mentioned this in the author's note of my last chapter, but let's be honest... A lot of people don't read them :D (I'm totally guilty of that). Anyways, some future chapters in Jace's POV will really help clarify the story, and I really want to do it, but I need you-my faithfuls-to do something for me. It's fairly simple, and it will actually make you and someone else feel really happy**

 **Part One: Think of someone who inspires you more than anyone else. Not a famous person, but rather someone who is a part of your everyday life. Also, think of why that is.**

 **Part Two: Tell them!**

 **Part Three: Review or PM me identifying the person who inspires you (You don't have to do it by name, just relation), why they inspire you, and their reaction to you telling them (commenting the reaction is optional, but recommended)**  
 **Honestly, it isn't hard to do, and it will make both you and the person you tell feel amazing inside. I personally did it to two people who really do inspire me and have a large impact on my everyday life. Their reactions were priceless, and it gave me such pride to know that I was the one who made them feel like that. I have a feeling it will do the same for you, my Faithful Followers**

 **As an example, I would love to thank all of you for everything you have done for me. Each and every time I get a review or a follower, my heart honestly swells. From The Bachelor to Treble Hearts to The BFB Dilemma, you have been there for me, so thank you all for everything.**

 **Until next time, My Faithfuls**

 **With love,  
Shadowhunter5801**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello, my faithful followers. First of all, I want to thank those of you who told me who your inspiration is. It meant a lot that you guys went through that, and I hope it made you and whoever you told feel amazing. It sure did for me. You all have earned your fair share of Jace POV chapters, which will come as the story progresses. I want to say again that you all inspire me to write every chapter, and I hope you enjoy FanFiction as much as I do. Let's be honest; it's pretty great. Be sure to check out "Live Again" by imfihlelo-which is an account and story I co-own with the wonderful S1E12!**

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"Clarissa Adele Fray!" The yell didn't even faze me as I buried my face deeper into my pillow, "Get your _ass_ up." A string of noises that sounded somewhat like a refusal drifted from my mouth, "We have to be at school in a half hour." Another slew of sounds, "Jace will drive off without us." Still, I made no move to get out of my comfortable burrow of sheets and blankets, "That's it." The person growled, and suddenly, everything was ripped away from me. Then-probably because I was hit by the freezing cold air-all of Isabelle's words processed in my brain.

"What?!" I screamed, sitting up straight. Izzy gestured wildly with her arms, which was something that symbolized a 'Hurry up'. After hurling myself out of bed-and almost falling in the process-I ran wildly around the room. There was no thought put into my outfit as I threw on the first things I found, then ran into the bathroom to tame the wild nest that was my hair. Surprisingly, the brush didn't get stuck as I yanked it through my locks, paying no heed to the pain in my scalp.

The last thing I had to do was put on shoes, and I did so while simultaneously trying to hop toward the front. Isabelle hadn't waited for me, a bad sign, seeing as they could be leaving any second. I called a hasty 'Bye' to my mother, grabbing my backpack and stumbling down the stairs of the apartment complex. Finally, I reached the car, sliding into the back. I panted from the hurrying, a sign that I _really_ needed to hit the gym.

"Pretty good time." Isabelle complemented from the front, "Ten minutes. Not too shabby." All I could do was nod, still trying to catch my breath. Jace snorted, most likely at my lack of fitness, and I flipped him off in the rearview mirror. That only made him laugh, causing me to frown deeply, "Jace, be nice." Iz scolded her brother, rolling her eyes when he stuck his tongue out at her.

"So mature." I taunted from where I was sitting, finally able to talk. Needless to say, Golden Boy mimicked me in a high pitched voice. A sigh escaped me, but I just shook my head, not about to let him worsen the already bad start to my day. It took me that long to realize I hadn't eaten breakfast, and I groaned. As if reading my mind, Izzy threw a granola bar at me. I caught it with a grateful smile, ripping off the wrapping and chowing down. The moment the flavor hit my tastebuds, I moaned. I realized my mistake a second too late as Jace opened his mouth, but Isabelle slapped a hand over it before he could speak, "My savior." I cried dramatically, and I didn't even have to see Jace's face to know that he was pouting.

It was a fairly normal ride from there on out, with Jace being particularly annoying today and me not taking his crap. It was progressively getting more and more childish though, to the point of where Jace was about to actually _turn around_ and slap me, with me more than willing to return the favor.

By the grace of the gods, we pulled up into a parking space before anyone was murdered. I jumped out of the car before another comment could come out of his mouth, Izzy following behind me. Luckily, when I turned around, I saw that Jace had run into some of the guys from the football team and was distracted with talking. I didn't waste a second in hurrying toward the building, and Isabelle caught up without really even trying. We rushed through the doors and to our lockers, which were right next to each other-Simon's being on my other side.

One of the only blessings this school had given was that the principal had let us choose our own lockers freshman year. These lockers would be ours for the rest of our "high school career," so it was pretty great to be next to my two best friends. Sadly, this meant that I was stuck being five lockers down from the Golden Boy himself. He and his football buddies had claimed theirs _way_ too close for comfort, but it wasn't like Jace or his team really cared about us. The fact that we were distracted by our own friends was probably the only thing that kept us from killing each other on a daily basis.

Just as I got the right books, the warning bell rang, and I let out a deep sigh. Simon ran up at that moment, frantically trying to get his stuff, and I couldn't help but stand and laugh at his panic. He took a moment to glare at me before going back to pulling out what he needed. We didn't even really have time to talk before exchanging quick 'Goodbye's and running off in separate directions.

I slid into my seat in Psych just in time, turning to Maia, one of the other girls in our group, with a halfhearted smile. She grinned back, about to start talking when a voice caught our attention.

"Hello, class!" Mr. Starkweather clapped his hands, and we offered back various forms of tired greetings. He really was a good teacher, but it was 7:50 in the morning, so our hearts weren't exactly in it, "We have a new project that we're beginning today." All of us perked up a fraction at that, because Starkweather's projects were always pretty awesome. Then, the look on his face changed, and that was when I had the feeling I needed to brace myself for the worst, "You guys will be taking care of newborns." Whispers flew around the class at his words, "Not _actual_ newborns." He rolled his eyes, and the room seemed to relax a bit, "But they're pretty realistic. You won't be alone though. You'll have a partner." Maia and I immediately shared an excited look, because if we were going to suffer through this, at least we would be doing it together.

"Which I have chosen." A collective groan sounded, but who could be blamed? When teachers chose partners, nothing good ever came from it. Ninety percent of the time, it was like they wanted us to suffer for their own personal amusement, "Well, let's begin, shall we?" To Starkweather's credit, he at least looked a little guilty, "Now, I want everyone to stand up and move to the back of the room. You will be sitting with your partner for the entirety of the assignment." This was officially the worst day known to man. That is, unless our teacher took pity on me and Maia and let us work together, but that wasn't about to happen.

"Let's start with..." Starkweather trailed off when we were all leaning against the wall, "Clary and Jace."

"What?!" I screeched, and the aforementioned blonde made an equal noise of surprise. This was the only class I shared with Jace Lightwood, so statistically, this type of situation never should've arisen. Not once had we been partners before, so I assumed it would always be that way. Clearly I was wrong. Murmurs rose up between students, because it was extremely common knowledge that Jace Lightwood and Clary Fray did not get along on any level. I may not have been popular, but Jace was, so our rivalry was pretty well known.

"I can't be partners with _her_." Jace growled, and I frowned, whipping my gaze from Starkweather to him.

"And you think _I_ can be partners with _you_?!" I snarled, and his eyes switched to bore into mine. That started the most intense staredown ever. Neither of us were about to back down, so we probably would've spent all day there had Starkweather not cleared his throat. That made him the target of our anger yet again, and I probably would've lunged had Maia not grabbed my arm. I took a deep breath, composing myself, but my eyes were cold as I stared into his soul, "Mr. Starkweather," My fake smile was deadly, "I have the strongest feeling that Jace and I will not be compatible for this—well, any—project, so I think it would be beneficial to reassign us."

"I'm sorry, Miss Fray." He pinched the bridge of his nose, most likely having expected this reaction, "But I will not be swayed. You and Mr. Lightwood will be doing this project together. That is final." Jace opened his mouth, and I had a feeling he would've cussed the man out had common sense not leaked in at the last second. Instead, Golden Boy muttered something under his breath that sounded shockingly similar to 'Bloodthirsty little beast' while stalking over to a pair of desks and plopping down in one of the chairs. I mocked him softly in a high pitched voice, but followed nonetheless.

"So we're having a baby together?" Was how Jace broke the awkward silence between us. Normal people would've probably started choking at that point, but I'd known Jace for almost our entire lives, so it didn't exactly faze me. I just turned to him with a blank expression, and his lips tipped down at the corners when he realized that was the only reaction he was getting. I couldn't help but smirk, because the pout forming on his face was frankly rewarding. Then, I was suddenly reminded of our situation, and I wasn't so happy anymore.

"Well, class." My attention snapped to the front, Mr. Starkweather's voice making me realize that he'd finished pairing people up. He was holding a large box in his arms that no doubt held the 'newborns', "I will be handing out your children. Feel free to name them or do whatever you like." And with that, plastic dolls were being passed out to each pair of students. When he got to me and Jace, setting the baby on the desk in front of us, I stopped him.

"Why, exactly, are we doing this in a Psychology class?" I questioned. He sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair.

"To be honest, it was the school that mandated this." He admitted, and I tilted my head in curiosity, "They wanted to ward off the chance of teen parenting, and they decided that this would be the perfect class for it. Their justification was something along the lines of 'It changes the mindset of teens.'" I frowned, mentally cursing Idris High for its stupidity. They could've gone with the more logical route of Health, but no. They just _had_ to choose Psych. I didn't say anything more, so he took that as a sign to leave. As soon as I turned back to Jace, I noticed that he was holding the baby upside down by its foot with a look of disdain on his face.

"Jace!" I snapped, snatching it from his grip. It promptly began to cry, as did most of the other babies in the class. He snickered, and I trained a glare on him that could freeze over hell. Rather than recoiling under its intensity, he simply raised an eyebrow, and I resisted the urge to knock another chip out of his tooth. I probably would've done it had Mr. Starkweather not yelled over the sobbing.

"These babies will need to be rocked, fed, changed, and burped." He announced loudly, giving out a bottle for each baby, "You will have to determine which it is. They are normally set to be deactivated during school hours, but I thought that your first moments should be in class." Now came diapers. I was immensely annoyed that _this_ was what the school funds went toward, and I could already tell that this little machine would be a demon sent from the ninth circle of hell, "Good luck!"

All of us stared at Starkweather with varying degrees of shock.

 _Good luck?!_ I shrieked in my head _You just handed us replicas of tiny human beings, and all you can say is '_ Good luck' _?!_ Then, he had the freaking audacity to walk over to his desk, sit down, and get on his laptop to do who knows what. The steadily increasing volume of wails drew my attention to the _thing_ in my hands, and I looked up to Jace, who had similar panic in his gaze. Automatically, I held the baby out to him, but he shook his head vigorously, even going as far as scooting back a fraction. This was probably the most terrified I'd seen Jace in a long time, and if the situation were different, I would've laughed my ass off. Sadly, I was pretty preoccupied by the little horror I was currently holding.

"What do I do?!" I asked Jace frantically.

"You're the girl here!" He exclaimed, like that was supposed to solve everything.

"Thank you, Jace, for the helpful genetics lesson." I snarked, and he flapped his arms in frustration. A noise of exasperation escaped me. My brain was chaotic as I tried to think of something, _anything_ to do, but I couldn't seem to remember how to function at this point. Finally, it occurred to me to rock it, so I did just that, and like magic, the cries died off. I let out a breath of relief, a strange sense of accomplishment bubbling up in me, "So how are we gonna do this? Because I'm not taking care of this hellion alone."

"Well neither am I!" Jace threw up his hands.

"How about this..." I trailed off, knowing I would regret the words that were about to come out of my mouth, "I'll see if I can stay over at yours for the rest of however long this torture session lasts." He nodded tentatively. At least I wouldn't have to deal with it by myself. Maybe I could even make Jace take all the late night calls, "Don't even think about it." He growled, and I, being the sophisticated and mature seventeen year old I am, stuck my tongue out at him. He gladly returned the gesture, and for some reason, a grin tugged at the corners of my lips. It was wiped off pretty fast when I was hit with the harsh reality of the fact that I would be playing house with _Jace Lightwood_ for the next who knows how many days.

 _Well, shit._

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"I'm having a baby with Jace." Was what I greeted the group with as I plopped down in the circle. That was met with a chorus of surprised choking, and I smirked at the desired effect, my spirits lifting a little. Simon, Isabelle, Jordan, and Magnus stared at me with identical looks of shock while Maia wore a knowing smile.

"What?!" Isabelle was the first to shriek, and she marched over to me, gripping my shoulders and shaking me like a rag doll, "Have you lost your mind?!" It took her about ten seconds to realize that I wasn't _actually_ serious, and she stepped back with a frown. I shot her a cheesy smile, and she crossed her arms over her chest, unamused. The giggle that escaped me was unapologetic, causing her to roll her eyes and stalk back to where she had been sitting across from me, "Would you mind telling me why you gave me a heart attack?" That was when I burst out laughing, half from her expression and half because I would cry if I didn't.

"She's not lying." Maia piped up, and Izzy turned her scalding glare on the other girl, "It's a Psych project. We have to take care of dolls that are basically fully terrifying newborn babies." Maia shivered, and I couldn't blame her. She'd been paired with Will Herondale, who was also on the football team and just so happened to be one of Jace's right hand men. I took pity on her, but we all knew that I'd drawn the short straw. Will was cocky as hell, but not enough to be considered Jace-level. Then again, _no one_ could be considered Jace-level.

"I bet it'll be ten times more awkward after the..." Magnus trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows, "Experiment."

"What experiment?" Simon asked warily, and I glared at Magnus. I'd thought that we could keep it between me, Iz, and him, but clearly, I was wrong. Everyone looked to me for an answer that I didn't want to give. I sighed, not knowing exactly how to explain, and all of them staring at me in wait wasn't exactly helping. That was when Isabelle decided to pitch in.

"Jace wanted to see if he could get Clary to fall into his trap with a dance." There was a dark note in her voice that almost gave me chills. I couldn't imagine the hell Jace had gone through during their little chat, but if her tone was any indication, it was bad.

"But I _didn't_." I felt the need to add immediately, "Thank you _very_ much." The rest of the group was completely and utterly silent. It seemed like no one knew what to say. They looked like they were in between laughing and total shock, because Jace Lightwood didn't like me on any level, much less want to get me in bed. It was a surprising turn of events that I hadn't exactly wanted getting out and around. Then, something that we'd forgotten to mention occurred to me, "He was drunk." Everyone seemed to relax at that, including myself, because it was like a cure-all. At least if he was drunk, his judgement was impaired, because if a _sober_ Jace Lightwood did that... Well, I think the flying pigs would tip everyone off.

"So, what was it like?" Surprisingly, it was Jordan leaning forward with interest. I gestured for him to explain, "The full out Jace Lightwood charm." He elaborated, and I couldn't hold back my groan.

"It was more annoying than anything." I shrugged, telling the wholehearted truth, "It's _Jace,_ so I wasn't attracted per say." Isabelle shoulders seemed to sag in relief, and I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering why she'd been scared of anything else. It was honestly baffling how, after everything she'd seen between us, she could even suspect that something would happen, especially on my side. It wasn't like Jace was in a sane state of mind, and he had said many, _many_ times that he was out of my league. Still, I guess you could never be too careful.

"So you haven't fallen for him yet?" Simon wanted to clarify. I rolled my eyes, nodding. What did they think I was going to do? Jump Jace's-

"Wait what do you mean 'Yet'?" I growled, the final word getting through my thick skull. Did they all have this picture in their heads that I would run off with Jace and elope? Aside from that reluctantly admitted weeklong crush, there was nothing between us. Even _that_ was unrequited, so there was no need to freak out. They seriously needed to calm themselves. Simon was silent as we all waited for him to answer my question, and there was a heavy tension in the air. Everyone but me was sharing weird glances, and I didn't like it one bit, "Guys, is there something you're not telling me?"

"No." They all replied in unison, and I narrowed my eyes, scanning each of them until my gaze came to rest on Simon. He was always the one who would break first, so when he began to squirm, I smirked, knowing my plan was working. It would only take a little longer. The tiniest bit more time. A few seconds and...

"We all knew when you had that crush on Jace." The words came out of his mouth in a rush, and the rest of the group made exasperated noises. My eyes were about to bug out of my head, and my mouth bobbed open and closed. I should've denied it right away, because the longer I sat there gaping, the more sure they were going to get. I needed to snap out of it. Fast.

"Why in the _hell_ would you guys think I had a crush on Jace?" I hissed, my tone warning them that they were treading on thin ice. None of them wanted to speak, instead settling for glancing at each other in silence. I crossed my arms and clenched my jaw, my entire demeanor on guard, "Say something!" I shouted, _way_ too defensive to be normal. In hindsight, I could've gone with the calmer, more collected option, but in the moment, that option didn't exist. I just needed to know how they knew.

"You know that look his fangirls get on their faces when he passes that we always make fun of?" Jordan asked tentatively, and my heart stopped. No. Just _no_. I couldn't have that expression in a million years. If that was true, then Jace knew. There was no doubt about it. Granted, it was only for _one week_ , but it was still there. I shivered, because it just wasn't possible. I couldn't have sunk that low.

"He's exaggerating." Magnus assured me, and I let out a breath of relief, "But you haven't denied it yet, Darling."

"One week." I grumbled, pouting indignantly, "It was _one week_." I was careful to enunciate the last two words to make sure it would get into their heads that it was no longer true, "And it was purely physical." Then, I pointed an accusing finger at Maia, who was currently curled into Jordan's side, "You did too." Was all I said, and she huffed out a sigh, but she didn't refute it, "As much as I hate to say it..." I did _not_ like what was about to come out of my mouth next, but it had to be said in my defense, "Every girl has had a crush on Jace. He's like the Zac Efron of Idris High." There was a reluctant chorus of agreements, and my muscles loosened. At least I couldn't necessarily be faulted.

"Can we all just forget this entire conversation ever happened?" My cheeks were officially flaming hot.

"Nope." All of them said at once.

I think I died a little inside

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 **So Clace takes on the wonders of parenting. Let's see how this pans out ;) Thank you all for reading, and please continue to do the inspiration thingy ma bob. (To be honest, I have no idea how to spell that, so I'm just winging it). Anyways, I've been watching the Harry Potter marathon on Freeform, and endless "Shadowhunters" commercials keep coming on. I refuse to watch the show, yet I still continue to yell incessantly at the television (much to the annoyance of those around me). Happy New Year to all of you, and wherever you are... You are** _ **AWESOME**_ **and start out the year knowing how absolutely, spectacularly, brilliantly** _ **AMAZING**_ **you are.**

 **With love to my faithfuls,**

 **Shadowhunter5801**

 **PS: As a reward for** _ **FINISHING WRITING MY BOOK**_ **I might get a really expensive pen... I mean it's $395, but it's pretty freaking awesome!**

 **PPS: Yeah... I'm a writer nerd to the core...**


	6. Chapter 5

**Okay so what happened was I wrote this A/N and then I accidentally went back and it wasn't saved... ASL;DKGS;DLKFGJSFD;FDLKJ... Basically what I did was go on and on and on about my love for Malec (Because who doesn't love Malec?). Then I said that I love this story purely for its opening line (and for aforementioned Malec, because Malec implications and Malec in general). Then I am recruiting a new fandom warrior... She is amazing and will be even more so when she falls in love with Jace Waymorglightdale (I think I got all the names in there) But anyways... ON WITH THE STORY**

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"Because Jace and I are having a baby."

" _Excuse me!"_ My mother practically screeched at my words, and a smile played at my lips. Her eyes burned, and her muscles tightened.

"It's a school project, Jocelyn." Luke announced as he waltzed into the room. I turned and glared at him for ruining the joke before I could, but all he did was snort. A huffed sigh escaped me as I crossed my arms with a pout, "They called the parents." Luke explained to my mother, and she relaxed marginally.

"So you aren't having-"

"God, no!" I cut her off before she could finish, knowing what she was about to say. I would rather _not_ get into that conversation with her. _The_ conversation, "I can barely stand him, much less..." I shivered at the thought, and she loosened completely, a slight grin forming on her face, "But we both agreed that if we suffer, we have to do it together, so either I stay over there with them, or he comes over here." Mom thought for a second, weighing the options in her mind. I mentally begged her to let me go over there, because at least I would have the rest of the Lightwoods to keep us from screaming too loud. If we stayed here, then we would be completely alone when Mom and Luke were gone. _That_ would result in death.

"You can go." She relented, and I let out a breath of relief, "But no funny business." This time, she was kidding, because she knew that Jace and I were like water and oil. We didn't mix, no matter what happened. It just wasn't in our past, present, or future. That was for sure.

"Well then I'd better go now before he breaks the thing." Despite wanting to stay and let him take care of it alone, I feared that he would indeed destroy it out of pure frustration.

"Bye, Clare Bear." Luke ruffled my hair, and I fixed it, sticking my tongue out at him. He laughed. Then, I moved for Mom, and she gave me a tight hug.

"Good luck." She whispered, squeezing me once before releasing me.

"I'm gonna need it." I grumbled, more to myself than anyone else. Both of my parents chuckled, and I shook my head, grabbing my backpack and walking to the door. The one thing I was grateful for was that I didn't have to carry clothes, seeing as I already had a whole wardrobe full at The Institute. Still, I almost wanted the excuse of packing to delay the inevitable trip to the Lightwood residence, but alas, that was something I just couldn't have.

I reluctantly trudged down the stairs of the apartment complex, walking out onto the sidewalk with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

 _You can do this_. I encouraged myself, then stepped onto the curb, hailing a cab.

I banged on the front door, shifting nervously from foot to foot. It wasn't like it was my first time staying at the house, but this time, I would be taking care of a demon. With Jace. That thought alone caused me to shudder. Suddenly, the door was thrown open, and I was yanked inside without a word of greeting. I stumbled behind my assailant, tugging in attempt to get out of his grip, but it was to no avail. He didn't stop until we were in his room, the door shut and locked behind us.

"What the hell, Alec?" I growled, rubbing my wrist. He didn't respond, instead opting to pace back and forth. I sighed, then walked over to his bed and plopped down on it. When Alec started pacing, it usually didn't stop for a couple of minutes, so I waited impatiently for him to calm down. Apparently, that wasn't happening, so I took matters into my own hands, walking in front of him and grabbing his shoulders. He halted, eyes wild and frantic, "Alec, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"You know." Was all he said, and I tilted my head in question. His voice was slightly crazed, which was freaking me out just a little, "About..." He trailed off, and I could tell that he was mentally willing me to magically know what he meant. I removed one hand to gesture for him to go on. Then, he wouldn't meet my gaze, looking anywhere but at me, "You know who?"

"Voldemort?" I asked, frankly amused. He'd relaxed enough to shoot me a quick, flat glance, then went back to avoiding my eyes, That was when it dawned on me, and my eyebrows furrowed, "You mean Ma-" He tried to shush me, so I decided to change my original name, "ggie?" I continued, and that got him to stop dead. Alec scanned my face, looking for any trace of a lie, but I kept my innocent expression up.

"So you don't...?" At this point, he looked like a confused little puppy, and I was starting to take pity on him. Judging by his actions, it would probably be best to keep him in the dark about my knowledge.

"I don't what?" I prodded gently, and he sighed burying his face in his hands, "Is this about Maggie?" His eyes lifted to meet mine, and an internal battle seemed to rage on in his head. Finally, he moved to his bed, sitting down and patting the space next to him. I did as he asked without words, and for a long time, it was silent.

"Yes." He finally whispered. I didn't speak, deciding to let him go at his own pace, "I can't get her out of my head. I thought it was just because she was so forward, but she's not going away." There was a pause, and for a second, I thought he wouldn't go on, but he did, "I saw her the day after the party-"

"You _what now?"_ I hadn't necessarily permitted the exclamation to come out of my mouth, but it did. Oh, Magnus was _so_ getting an earful for not telling me. My withholding of information had stemmed from the thought that Alec might _not_ like him that way. This was _clearly_ refuting that assumption though. I noticed after a minute that Alec was staring at me in shock, and I blushed, quietly urging him to go on, "What did you guys talk about?"

"Nothing." He shrugged, then took a moment to think, "Everything. Something. I don't even know." I resisted the urge to laugh at his turmoil, purely because I knew that Magnus had been crushing on him for a while. Alec had nothing to worry about on that front. I could tell that the war was more with himself than anything else. It must've been hard, thinking he was straight and then _boom_ Magnus comes along and all of that goes to shit. Maybe that wasn't the most _eloquent_ way to put it, but it was the truth.

"Well, does she like you like that?" I asked softly.

"Yes." The tiniest of smiles pulled at the corners of his lips, "He does." At first, Alec didn't notice his slip, "She, I meant she." He tried to make up for it a moment later, and I nodded, acting like I believed him. My phone suddenly started to ring, and we both jumped at the loud sound. I pulled it out of my pocket, fully intending to silence it, but that was when we both caught the name on the screen.

 _Magnus Bane_

Alec's eyes grew so wide that they could've popped out of his head, and I fumbled to decline the call. After what seemed like an eternity, I was able to do so, but a text popped up on the screen.

 _Magnus Bane:_

 _Clarissa, I have urgent news._

I knew he was going to tell me about his and Alec's little meeting. I could feel it. Then, I had that little voice inside of me that whispered 'Of course it's urgent. That's why you waited all this time to tell me.' Granted, it had only been a day, but still. I needed to know these things pronto, not twenty-four hours after the fact. It took me a minute to get my mind back on track enough to start hiding my phone, but I was too late to react, because before I could get it out of Alec's line of sight, another text came through.

 _Magnus Bane:_

 _It's about you know who._

"Who's that?" Alec asked cautiously, clearly scared.

"Just one of my friends." I attempted to wave him off, but he wasn't having it.

"Who was he talking about?" He pried, and I frowned, shaking my head.

"I don't think it's any of your business." My voice was firm, but he narrowed his eyes, "Fine." Okay, so now I had to lie my ass off, "I actually don't know who. He won't give me a name." It must've been by blind hope that Alec accepted it, because his shoulders slumped the tiniest bit in relief. In my stupidity, I'd paused the action of putting my phone back, and I didn't realize it until yet another ding sounded. The only word I saw was enough to make me snatch it as fast as possible

 _Alec_

Sadly, it seemed like he caught it too, because a strangled noise escaped his mouth. Both of us were dead silent, me out of fear, and him out of probably a million emotions. Then, something seemed to catapult him into action, because his eyes began to burn with an intensity that I'd almost never seen.

"What did that message say?" His tone was demanding yet tentative at the same time, and my heart pounded in my chest. There was a lot that could go wrong at this moment, so I needed to figure out something fast.

"Alice." I chose the most believable route. It was convincing enough that he could've read it wrong, but I had a feeling that this wasn't about to work. He gave me a wary look, and I almost thought he would protest. Instead, he sighed, looking down at his lap. I opened my mouth to say who knows what, but the words never left me mouth, because before I knew it, he was lunging. A yelp flew out of me, and I tried with all my might to keep the phone tucked against my chest in a death grip. Alec wasn't having it though, because his fingers locked around the device as he tried to rip it out of my hands. To be honest, at this point it was pretty obvious, whether he saw the phone or not, but I guess he just wanted confirmation. I wasn't exactly about to give it to him.

"Give it!" He hissed, pulling with all his might.

"Never!" I whisper-yelled so as not to attract attention. A number of curses were thrown out by both of us as we fought, and somehow, I ended up on my back with him straddling my hips. We most likely would've gone on for a lot longer had someone not opened the door. Neither Alec nor I noticed until a foreign coughing fit erupted. Both of us froze, and our heads whipped to face the intruder at the same time. Jace stood in the doorway, finally composed, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"What, exactly, is going on?" He asked, voice laced with amusement, and I realized just how wrong this must look. A hot blush rose to my cheeks, which most likely wouldn't help our case, but I couldn't seem to move. Apparently, Alec couldn't either, because he stayed poised on top of me, hands still locked around my phone. It was against my chest, so that could also be construed as something else. As a whole, this was just _bad_. Jace cleared his throat, which catapulted both of us to action.

Alec jumped off of me like I was on fire, and I sat up straight, opening my mouth to tell Jace was actually going on. Then, Alec turned to me, eyes pleading me to lie, and I sighed.

"We were just..." I wracked my brain for an excuse that would be believable, but to be honest, there were none. None except the truth, "Wrestling?" It came out as more of a question than anything else, and Alec shot me a flat glance. I almost scoffed, because it wasn't like he could've come up with anything better. There was a bigger problem at hand though, a problem that Alec and I had to deal with fast.

"Ah, I see." Golden Boy was wearing a suggestive smile, "Wrestling." The way he said it sounded so dirty, and I couldn't help the fact that I rose to my feet, marching over to him and smacking him on the back of the head. He frowned at me, and I crossed my arms, daring him to say anything else. He snorted, "I guess Isabelle was giving the talk to the wrong sibling." I groaned, right on the verge of showing him my phone to make this whole thing, but I remembered the desperate look in Alec's eyes and stopped myself.

"It's not like that." I started to deny everything, not knowing what excuse I was about to give. Luckily, I was saved by a distracting wailing sound. Jace tensed up, and I growled something that I couldn't discern under his breath, "Is that the..?" I trailed off, and he nodded, forgetting about our previous situation.

"I've been dealing with it for the past _two hours."_ He hissed, clearly irritated, "I think it's your turn now." My head shook vigorously of its own accord, and his frown deepened. He pointed to the hall, and I cursed, knowing it was only fair for me to take this one. Still, I wasn't doing it alone, so I grabbed his arm, dragging him behind mel without a word. He tried to shake me off, but my grip was iron, and at some point, he stopped trying to escape. I followed the source of the noise to his room, throwing open the door and stalking over to his dresser. The crying was coming from one of the drawers, and I turned to face him with a glare.

"You've been keeping it in there?" I hissed, and he returned my hard stare.

"Well it's not like I have a crib." He retorted as I yanked open the drawer to find the baby laying on a pile of neatly folded clothes. I pulled it out fairly gently, holding it in a way that I could burp it. The fact that it couldn't throw up was a blessing, but it wouldn't stop shrieking. That was when I noticed how badly the diaper was put on, and I huffed out a sigh.

"Do you not know how to put on a diaper?" I growled at Jace, setting the baby down on his bed and rushing to the corner where the open bag of diapers was thrown. I snatched one of the things, stomping over to the baby and beginning the process of changing him. He had, in fact, wetted his previous diaper, so I put a new one on in a much better fashion.

"Well _excuse me_ for not having a child." He replied to my earlier question, and I rolled my eyes. Suddenly, someone else burst into the room.

"What is that infernal racket?" Isabelle snapped at Jace. Then, she turned to me, eyes softening. She smiled, running over to me and wrapping me in her arms. I squeezed her, then stepped back, and she sighed. Suspicion that she was already tired of the thing rose up in me, but I couldn't blame her, "I'm so sorry."

"So I get sass and she gets comfort." Jace snarked. We chose to ignore him. Obviously, he didn't like that, because he said something that grabbed my attention fast, "He's staying in your room tonight, by the way." I whipped to face him.

" _Hell_ no." I refused, not about to budge on this one, "There is _no way_ I'm dealing with that alone all night." I knew that Jace wouldn't get up if the baby stayed in my room. It was far enough away in the mansion that he wouldn't hear it, and trying to wake him up would be to no avail. That boy could sleep through a hurricane without a doubt, so there wasn't a chance that I would let him get away with it.

"Well you wouldn't get up if it was in my room!" Despite the fact that I would call myself an honorable person, he was probably right. I wasn't as deep of a sleeper as he was, but I could sure as hell ignore him. Then, he came up with the most _genius_ solution in the world. Note the sarcasm, "You're staying in here tonight." It wasn't a question, which immediately put me on the defensive. I would've said something that a sailor would've been jealous of, but Isabelle beat me to the punch.

"I don't think so." Her fists and jaw were clenched in a way that screamed attack mode. All Jace did was roll his eyes.

"It's not like were gonna sleep together." He snorted, "Haven't I told you enough time that I'm out of her league?" I briefly remembered our 'Pretty enough' conversation, but apparently, he didn't. Then again, he'd said I wasn't at his level during it, but I was still a slight bit offended. Isabelle didn't quite seem convinced though, but to be honest, I was starting to see Jace's point. If I slept in here, then we would both have to do it together. Okay, that sounded dirty. We would have to _deal with it_ together.

"Maybe he's right..." I trailed off, honestly a little scared of what Isabelle's reaction would be. She turned to face me, eyes on fire, but I walked over to her, setting my hands on her shoulders and meeting her gaze, "Nothing will happen." I assured her, and she looked like she was leaning toward believing me, "I promise." At that, she relaxed a fraction, because I never broke a promise unless it put me or someone else at risk. Finally, she sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat, and her eyes flicked between me and Jace wearily. They settled on Golden Boy, turning a little bit sharper.

"No funny business." Her voice was firm, and it was the tone she used when she meant what she said to an immense degree. I could see the brief fear in Jace's expression, but he ended up snorting to hide it.

"The only place I would have _any_ 'business' is in her dreams." He smirked, clearly pleased with his retort. And he stole my air quotes.

"You can take that 'business' and shove it up your-"

"Okay." Isabelle intervened before I could cuss him out, "I can _clearly_ see the lack of romance in the air."

"Damn right." Both Jace and I replied at the same time, then turned to glare at each other.

It was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

 **So I have the strong urge to agree with Clary. It _will_ be a long night. A _very_ long night ;). Who knows what could happen with the two of them in the same room for an entire night... _with_ a baby?... Hmmmm interesting... I can't wait to let you guys know... I feel like I should've left it on a cliffie. Hm. Maybe I'm just too nice. *Sigh* I guess so.**

 **Question of the Chapter: If you could donate to any cause in the world, what would it be?**

 **Goodbye my faithfuls!**

 **With all the love in the world...**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	7. Chapter 6

**HOLA! So... I have a confession to make... I may or may not have already written this chapter a few days ago, but not yet posted it for reasons that shall lay unknown in the depths of your minds... MWAHAHAHAHA! Okay, but seriously, my intentions weren't evil. I am sorry I had to withhold this from you guys, but it was slightly necessary. Also, during this story, I've felt like something was missing from each chapter, and I figured it out: I haven't been replying to any reviews. So here it goes now:**

 **AnnaBanana: This is my most important review to reply to. I have to say this, and you** _ **have**_ **to believe me. You. Are. Beautiful. You is kind, you is smart, you is important. I don't want you to forget that... EVER. I really hope you get the chance to read this, and hopefully, it helps you see how amazing you are.**

 **Sophiecampbellbower: So with the hiding thing, Clary knows that Alec doesn't exactly want this info getting out, and she could tell that he wasn't all that happy about her knowing, so she didn't want to embarrass him. With Magnus... She wanted to let them figure out their own stuff, just like with Isabelle and Simon.**

 **GeekyAsWaffles: I literally had to completely hold back to not laugh out loud in a public place when I saw this. At first, I thought you were** _ **calling**_ **my fanfiction creepy fetish you-know-what, so I was like 'Huh?' Then I read it again and I'm like 'OOOOOHHHHH LOL'**

* * *

 **Clary POV**

"Isn't this the part where you offer me the bed?" I questioned, but all Jace did was stare at me blandly. Clearly, he thought I would be sleeping in a chair or on the floor tonight. The key word in that sentence was 'thought', because there was no way I was letting him have the soft, comfy bed while I was lying on the cold hard ground. That was not a Taylor Swift reference. No sir. Completely unintentional.

"I am _not_ sleeping on the floor of _my room._ " He stated firmly, and I narrowed my eyes, wracking my brain for something I could bribe him with. For a fleeting second, the idea of trying to seduce him entered my mind, but it was gone as fast as it came. That didn't stop a disgusted look from crossing my face though, "What are you thinking, Shortcake?" He raised _one eyebrow_. Ignoring that, I wasn't about to let him have the satisfaction of knowing that I even briefly entertained the idea of making a move on him for risk of him holding it against me forever.

"I was _thinking_ that you need to stop calling me that." I hissed, and he tilted his head a fraction, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. My mistake came to me a second later. He hadn't called me that dreadful name until _after_ my expression had changed. Damn, "I mean, I had a vision that you would call me that before you did." Wow, Clary. Your lies are truly top notch. Jace opened his mouth to say something horrible, but he was cut off by an earsplitting wail.

"Dammit." He hissed, marching over to his desk where the baby lay crying, "It's your turn." He walked over to me, attempting to thrust it into my arms, but I stepped back quickly, avoiding his reach. To my great disappointment, he advanced on me. Being the cliche girl I am, I forgot to look behind me, and I ended up hitting a wall. I swallowed hard as his face moved closer to mine, and he set his forehead on my own.

The loud sobbing was the only thing piercing the silence, but I wasn't focusing on that anymore. My full attention was on the way Jace's breath fanned across my face. I was too stunned to move, and the fact that his hand was on my face and his thumb was stroking my cheekbone paralyzed me even more. My inhales were shaky, and I had no idea what to do at this point. I never thought I would be faced with this situation in a million years. I guess I was wrong.

"How about you take care of the baby, and everything will be good." His voice was low and smooth as silk, and my lips parted. It took a second for his words to process, but when they did, reality slammed me full force. My first instinct was to push him away. My second instinct was better. I slid my hands up his chest so that my arms came to rest around his neck, and complete shock took over his features. I decided to take it a step further, raising onto my tiptoes. I made sure that my lips grazed his cheek as my mouth moved for his ear.

"I can't believe..." I trailed off, then let my fingers delve into his hair, "I can't believe you thought you could seduce me." A smirk was firmly planted on my lips as I pulled back completely. He stared at me, brow furrowed like he couldn't fathom the fact that I'd resisted his moves, or that I'd turned his own tactic against him. I used his surprise to my advantage, slipping away from him and jumping on the bed. A satisfied sigh escaped me, and I slipped under the sheets, waiting for him to truly react.

"What the hell just happened?" He still sounded a little bit dazed. I could tell the question was more directed at himself than me, so I curled up on my side, closing my eyes. By some miracle, I was able to mentally block out the crying, and I was just drifting off when it finally stopped completely. I briefly processed the fact that Jace had _actually_ taken care of it, but sleep was quickly overtaking me.

I was so far gone that I didn't feel the pillows being pressed against my back. I didn't feel the bed dip on the other side of the barrier with someone else's weight, and I most definitely did not hear Jace's soft, "Goodnight, Shortcake."

* * *

 **JACE'S POV... FINALLY**

I woke up to the sound of soft whimpers reaching my ears, which was pretty astounding considering how deep of a sleeper I was. The world was blurry when I opened my eyes, but it cleared after a minute, and I looked to the baby on my desk. To my surprise, the soft cries weren't coming from there. I propped myself up onto my elbows to look over the pillows, groaning in frustration when I realized that it was Clary who'd woken me up. I had half a mind to shake her too, considering the fact that, when I looked at the clock, I saw that it was 3AM.

I decided that I was going to have a little fun with this, because it was just a nightmare, so maybe I was even doing her a favor. Also, she'd tortured me a couple times lately, so this could only be classified as revenge. That was my justification for climbing out of bed and walking over to her side. A devious smile made it's way onto my face as I crouched down beside her, moving so that my face was inches from her's. I was about to yell, but then, she started whispering something.

"Please..." She murmured, the one word sounding so broken. That made me freeze. Not the word itself, but the tone of her voice. I had never heard it so sad in my life, "Please..." She said again, but this time, it was louder, more panicked, "Stop..." Now, I was curious, and a part of me whispered that I should probably wake her up at this point, though in a much calmer fashion than intended. But the bigger part of me wanted to know what would come out of her mouth next, "No... _no... NO!"_ The last one was a shriek, and I jumped back in surprise as she sat up straight, having woken herself up.

At first, I thought she would see me and ream me out, but it shocked me to the core when she said nothing. All she did was silently stare straight ahead. Soon after, I saw something that I never thought I'd see on Clarissa Adele Fray's face: A tear. It caught the moonlight that filtered through the window and shined like diamond on her cheek. I thought there would just be one, but suddenly, another fell, followed by another...and another...and another. Then, her shoulders started to shake, and a heart wrenching sob escaped her.

My mouth opened and closed as I tried to think of something to say, but I wondered if I should say anything at all. Maybe it would be better if I just stayed silent. I knew she would be embarrassed if she figured out that I was seeing her cry. Still, a foreign emotion in regards to her rose up in me. Watching her cry was, dare I say it, making me hurt for her. I regretted not waking her up, because if I had, maybe it wouldn't have gotten this bad. For the first time in forever, I actually felt bad for something I'd done to her-or rather, hadn't done.

I slowly rose to my feet, walking over to her side. It was like she was in a different world, because even when I sat down next to her, she didn't react. All she did was stare straight ahead as if the answers of the universe lay outside my window.

"Clary..." I whispered softly, and her reaction honestly scared me. She squeaked, jumping up to a standing position. Her eyes were wide with fear as she panted, wrapping her arms around herself. She began to backpedal until she hit the wall, and my eyebrows furrowed in a mix of confusion and concern. I got up, cautiously walking toward her, like I was approaching a cornered wild animal. Her entire body was shaking as I came to stand in front of her. Then, everything stopped. The crying, the sobs, the shaking. She shook her head vigorously, as if pulling herself out of a trance. After a minute of silence, she rubbed her eyes, narrowing them at me. Clarity seemed to wash over her a second later, and her lips parted.

"Jace?" My name was a question, and all I could do was nod, afraid that anything else would set her off. She buried her face in her hands for a minute, then lifted her head so that our gazes clashed. I had no idea what to do at this point. Sure, I'd been faced with crying girls, but that was mostly because I'd dumped them, not because of something serious. For a while, all we did was stare at each other. Finally, I did something that was probably stupider than anything I'd ever done to her, including the Experiment.

I gently pulled her into my arms.

At first, she tensed up, so I began rubbing comforting circles on her back. Slowly, she began to relax, and after what felt like an eternity, her arms wrapped around my neck. She buried her face in my chest, and the trembling started again. I hugged her tighter, wishing that I could do something to stop this for her, but it would be hard considering the fact that I had no idea what I should be stopping. This whole entire thing was weird, because I had never seen Clary so... vulnerable. She was always such a spitfire around me, so this gave me total whiplash.

"What is it?" I asked quietly, but it must've been the wrong thing to do, because her body tightened. She pulled back quickly, wiping her eyes. Her lips parted once again, and I knew whatever she was about to say would be a lie. I could just tell. Just as words were about to leave her mouth, a loud cry rang out. She jumped, then we both realized what it was. Before I could stop her, she was on her way to my desk, picking up the baby and the bottle that lay next to it. Miraculously, feeding it was the right thing to do, because it fell silent the minute she put the bottle in its mouth. As soon as it was done, she set both items back down.

I risked walking her way, but she refused to turn and face me. Even when I put a hand on her shoulder, she stayed stiff as a statue. I wasn't about to give up though. For some reason, I felt like she needed me, and for some reason, I _actually_ wanted to be there for her. It was most likely because she was an absolute wreck, and because this Clary was new to me.

"What was it?" I repeated my question, careful not to speak too loud.

"Just a nightmare." She tried to dismiss it, but I knew-I _knew_ -it was something more. It _had_ to be, because Clary Fray wouldn't react like that to just some nightmare, "I should go to my room." She broke away from me, moving for the door. For a second, I just watched her, not really processing the fact that she was leaving until she was out in the hall. I jogged after her, finding that she was walking at an even pace, head held high like nothing was wrong, which was total bullshit.

I grabbed her wrist, and she flinched, but she stopped nonetheless.

"What, Jace?" She sounded exasperated, but I could hear the underlying note of fear still present.

"Come back to bed." I murmured, hoping she would take the bait and make a joke. To my dismay, she didn't, instead opting to try and tug out of my grip, and I felt totally helpless. There seemed to be nothing I could say, but I refused to let her go, "Clary." My voice was a slight bit firmer, but not quite demanding. Her shoulders sagged in reluctant defeat, and a weight seemed to lift off of my chest. I released her wrist, then did something completely out of character. Then again, I was acting like a different person tonight. The thought that I could be possessed flashed across my mind, but I had more serious things to worry about than making a joke to myself.

I loosely twined her fingers with mine. To my surprise, she didn't yank her hand away, but rather squeezed mine like it was the last thing holding her here. A part of me wondered if that was true. I gulped, frankly a little weirded out by the sudden intimacy between us. My mind whispered that this would no doubt be forgotten in the morning, so anything I did would be fine. It probably wasn't true though-the 'I can do anything' idea, not the forgetting.

We re entered my room, and she released my hand to slip back under the sheets without a word. Yet again, she started trembling. My mouth opened and closed, because I didn't know if saying anything would get me anywhere. It hadn't worked before, so what would change in a matter of minutes? I opted to stay silent, crawling in bed beside her.

"I don't want to go back to sleep." Clary sounded like a little girl who was afraid of the dark, and I froze at the admission. She still didn't look my way, but the muscles in her back were taut, "You can laugh now." If I was standing, I would've taken a step back. After everything that happened in these past few minutes, she still thought I would laugh at her? Did she really think I was that cruel? Then, I realized that I hadn't exactly given her a reason to think otherwise with the way I usually treated her.

"I'm not laughing." I murmured softly, and finally, she flipped to face me.

"You're not?" Her voice was so small that it broke my heart, and I sighed, shaking my head.

"I might be bad, but I'm not that horrible." At that, a flicker of a minute smile crossed her face, and a bubble of triumph welled up in me. The fleeting light in her eyes faded fast, and it turned back to despair, making my heart sink, "I won't let anything happen to you." My words made her eyes widen a fraction, and I couldn't blame her. I mean, who would've thought? Jace Lightwood pledging to protect Clary Fray? What universe were we in? My mind assured me that I was just telling her this to calm her down, and that everything would go back to normal in the morning, but I didn't quite believe it.

"Thank you." Her voice was soft, almost like she was scared she would break the moment. To be honest, I was too. Even though I'd told her what I had, shivers still wracked her body, and I knew it wasn't because she was cold. I closed my eyes, silently muttering about how stupid I was for what I was about to do and about how she would probably laugh in my face. When I reopened them, she was still staring at me, and I lifted my arm. At first, she didn't get it, tilting her head in question, but soon, I heard her sharp intake of breath.

I honestly thought she would either run or crack up, which was half the reason I did it, but instead of doing either, she tentatively scooted my way. I tried not to acknowledge that I never cuddled, not even _drunk,_ as she got closer and closer.

 _You idiot._ I scolded myself, and I was mentally cussing myself out until she actually curled into my side. I swallowed hard, loosely wrapping an arm around her waist. Her arms snaked around my neck, and she buried her face in my shoulder, her trembling slowing to a halt. The fact that I had no shirt on became increasingly clear as she settled herself against me, and I found myself holding her tighter, so there was absolutely no space between us. Sue me for being a guy, but I couldn't help noticing the feeling of every curve pressed to me, and for a short girl, she had a lot. And not in a bad way. Not at all.

To be honest, I had never thought of Clarissa Adele Fray having a body, and I probably shouldn't be thinking about it now. In my mind, it was a general, accepted fact that I was out of her league. She'd never been the hottest girl around, or so I thought. All these years, I'd never paid attention to what she looked like, though I'd told her she wasn't pretty enough for me many a time. All I tried to focus on was the fact that she was the bane of my existence, because there _was_ nothing else to focus on-again, or so I thought.

But here and now, holding her in my arms, I started to question all of that. It didn't help at all when she snuggled even closer, slipping a leg in between my own. Nor did it help when she started to play with the hair at the nape of my neck. I knew it was more to comfort herself than anything else, but it still affected me in ways that it shouldn't. Isabelle's speech was playing in my head, and I didn't know why, because I wasn't attracted to Fray. Not at all. Not even the tiniest bit.

Despite everything I told myself, despite how many times I mentally whispered that it would all go back to normal in the morning, I knew one thing for sure. It didn't matter how much I tried to deny it, which I did very hard.

When we woke up, nothing would be the same.

* * *

 **So... (wiggles eyebrows)... We've got a little Jace insight now. Interesting, isn't it? Does he just feel horrible for Clary, or is it (cue the gasp) SOMETHING MORE. But we all know our sweet little Jace, and we all know that it can't be** _ **that**_ **easy. I mean, so what he cuddled her? It's not like he doesn't hate her anymore... Well, you see that nothing will be the same, so what do you think? Will he overcompensate and totally bash her, or will he start to open up bit by bit? To be honest, that is still in question for me too. I mean, I know the BONES of the story (Yes, I just did that) but everything to get there can shift ways.**

 **QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: What is an insecurity you have, and why? It doesn't have to be huge and life changing if you don't want it to be (but that is TOTALLY acceptable), but just something that gets you.**

 **One of mine is when I get pimples... I feel so... self conscious of my face. It's like I feel as though it's all people are looking at, when in reality, that is probably so untrue.**

 **ANYWAYS!**

 **Hasta la Vista for now!**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	8. Chapter 7

**HELLO MY FAITHFULS! How are you all? Because I'm pretty great! I found out recently that my writing received awards in a competition, so that was a "alkjdfhnalskfdjhafas" type of moment. It was at the regional level, and national results come back soon, so I'm praying that you'll keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm sooooo nervous, and it's still like a month away. In other words, I am an impatient person, and waiting is not fun. Anyways...**

 **IF YOU TOOK THE STEP TO PUT OUT YOUR INSECURITIES, PLEASE CHECK YOUR PM INBOX. I'VE LEFT A SURPRISE!**

 **(Now on with the story)**

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

I woke up in someone's arms. That fact had hit me the second I'd become conscious, and I didn't quite know what to do. The even bigger problem was that I wasn't awake enough to have any idea of who was even holding me. What I _did_ process was that it felt good. My own revelation had come as a surprise to even myself, because I'd never by any means been a cuddler. Then again, it might've been because I'd never had anyone to truly cuddle with. So all in all, I'd figured out that I liked it, and that was about as far as my mind could go at this no doubt ungodly hour of the morning.

In all honesty, I didn't want to move. I didn't want to stop the warmth that was wrapping around me, even though it could technically be anyone's arms giving me said warmth. Well, anyone who had strong arms, a muscled chest, and smelled like mangos. The last thing made me pause. There was a niggling feeling in my brain whispering that it should be a hint. I rolled the word around in my mind, my sleep fogged thoughts attempting to clear. What came with mangos? I had no idea-

Shit.

The name popped into my head, hitting me like a freight train. I was currently snuggling with Jace.

I was _freaking snuggling_ with _Jonathan Christopher Lightwood._

Again, shit.

The first question that entered my mind was _Why?_ A sane Clary Fray and a sane Jace Lightwood would never do this in a million years, so what had caused this impromptu intimacy? I ignored the fact that I was making no move to change our current position as I searched for some memory, some indication, of how we got here. The last thing I barely remembered was possibly feeling him put up a pillow barrier, which meant we wouldn't have gotten on the same side. There had to be a time that we'd woken up.

I suddenly gasped, as the night came back to me, and I tightened my already closed eyes. It had been months since I'd had those nightmares, but of _course_ they had to come back when I was having a slumber party with Jace. Because the world was totally on my side like that. Then, the rest of everything that had happened filtered through my thick skull.

Jace had helped me. Jace had made an honest to God effort to help me, and somehow, he'd succeeded. I briefly questioned if there was some sort of ulterior motive, but what would it be? He hadn't made fun of me for being a cry baby, and he hadn't even made a single noise of disgust when we'd touched. It was beyond weird, as was the light feeling that began to bloom in my heart.

Then, I had another epiphany. There would be consequences.

You see, whenever Jace did something nice, something that would tip the scales even the slightest bit, he overcompensated to get it back to where it had been before. So, if he made a genuine effort and went as far as _cuddling_ me, the aftershocks would be nothing but horrible. At least I had time to prepare myself. And time to get out of his arms, hopefully avoiding what would be one of the most awkward moments of my life. At least, last night, I had been in a state of mind I couldn't be blamed for. Now, it was a different story.

I swallowed hard, contemplating how I would do this without waking him up. Truly, he was such a deep sleeper that anything I did would most likely be fair game, or so I hoped. With that in mind, I took a shaky breath, gently beginning to wiggle back. I was almost out of his embrace when he mumbled something indiscernible in his sleep. Then, the oddest thing happened.

He pulled me back, proceeding to bury his face in my neck. I held my breath, wishing with all my heart that he wasn't actually waking up. Apparently, the universe gave me a gift, because after that, he didn't show any signs of awareness. The problem was that he wasn't about to let go. I was afraid that, if I pushed too hard, even _he_ would awaken, and that would be bad. Very bad. A part of me didn't want to leave though. It was a thought that, as soon as I identified it, I squashed into oblivion, because I should _never_ want to be this close to Jace for even a second.

With a newfound determination, I squirmed until his arms were forced to loosen. I had no idea how he was sleeping through all of this, but it was a blessing that I wasn't about to question. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I was free. I rolled off of the bed and onto my feet, letting out a breath of relief, then checked the clock that sat by his bed. As soon as I saw the time, I resisted the urge to groan.

5:30

I crossed my arms, tapping my foot against the floor as I weighed my options. The worst, yet most tempting, option was to get back in bed, stay on my side, and act like nothing happened. With that came the risk of Jace grabbing me again. Option two was to go downstairs, make a shitload of coffee, and pray that I would make it through the day without falling asleep in class. I huffed out a breath when I realized that there really was no choice. Option two was the only way to go, so I huffed out an annoyed breath, marching downstairs. Even though no one would see it, I pouted, silently cursing and blessing Jace at the same time.

If I was being fair, I should honestly thank him for what he'd done, because that must've taken a lot. He had to have known that his pride would be knocked down a notch, but he did it anyways. I mean, what would happen if word got out that he'd _held hands_ with _Clary Fray_ , much less _snuggle_ with her? Neither of us would speak a word about it-or so I expected-so that wouldn't necessarily be a problem. At least, I wouldn't, but there was a big chance that he would mock me for crying like a baby over a nightmare. I flinched at the mere thought, because that would be too far, even for him. Then again, he had no idea how serious it was, so he might treat it just like anything else.

The thing I was terrified of most was Isabelle finding out. I knew for a fact that she would be worried to no end. Then, she would be watching me like a hawk for the next eternity, and neither of us needed that. I hoped that, for the sake of the cuddling secret, Jace wouldn't mention it in front of her at all, but with him, there was a possibility of anything. My sigh was the only thing that shattered the silence as I began the process of making coffee. As soon as I was done, I plopped down on a barstool at the kitchen counter, burying my face in my hands.

It seemed like an eternity before a beep signaled that the drink of the gods had been brewed, and I moved sluggishly to prepare the rest of the drink. Then, I sat down again, mug in hand, and sipped the scalding liquid. It was almost hot enough to burn my tongue, but not quite. In other words, it was perfect. I didn't know how long I was sitting there before I heard the padding of feet on the wooden floor, and I turned to find Jace standing in front of me, a slight frown on his face. I hadn't expected much, but actually seeing him like that after what had happened hurt the tiniest bit.

I lifted my hand in a half hearted greeting, but all he did was snort and roll his eyes, walking over to the cupboard. My lips tipped down at the corners.

"You're welcome." I muttered as he poured himself a mug of _my_ coffee. He barked out a laugh, turning to face me again.

"I'm not the one who should be thankful." Both his words and his smirk held a cold distance that made me swallow hard. There was something coming next, something bad. I could tell by the way his eyes lit up in the most evil way, "Next time, do me a favor and suck it up. I already have one crying baby to deal with, and I don't need another one." I didn't expect to feel the pain I did, so the way my heart seemed to crack took me off guard. My jaw dropped, but all he did was roll his eyes yet again.

Then, he walked right past me, without a word, to whatever the hell room he wanted, leaving me shocked and in the dust.

* * *

 **JACE POV**

I groaned as my alarm went off, blindly smacking at it until I hit the right button to turn it off. After a minute of self-motivation, I cracked open an eye. The other quickly followed, and I reluctantly yawned, sitting up and stretching my arms. For a second, I stayed there, because something tugged at my mind. It was the strangest feeling, like I should remember something that was just out of reach. I glanced to my side, seeing the impression of a body on my bed, and a crease formed between my eyebrows.

 _Who was in my bed?_

I thought back to the night before, knowing that I hadn't brought a girl home, but how would that have gotten there. Then, the night came crashing back to me, and I sucked in a sharp breath, my eyes widening. Clary was the one who had been in my bed. _Clary Fray had been in my bed._ I groaned, realizing the destruction that simple sentence would bring. If that got out, I was done for by Isabelle, and that was something I would rather avoid.

Next, the middle of the night came back. I groaned, burying my face in my hands. What the hell was I thinking? What I should've done was either ignored it or scared her awake then gone back to sleep. There was the tiniest part of me that spoke up, though. It was a part that, even though I didn't want to acknowledge it, I had to hear.

 _Even_ I'm _not that cruel._

It was true. No person with a heart could've left someone-even someone they despised-alone like that. It just wasn't humane. Then again, I didn't have to go as far as I did. At the most, I should've patted her on the shoulder and told her that everything would be okay. But of course I didn't do that. Instead, I decided to cross every line that had ever been drawn between us. I decided to _snuggle_ her, something I didn't even do with the girls I brought to bed.

 _Also_ , because there just _had_ to be more, I'd thought about her a way I never had before. It must've just been a sleep induced haze, because there was no way I could even consider Fray like that. Still, I couldn't deny what I'd felt. Even though I wasn't romantic, it was something taboo. It was something that should never be repeated, even in my mind.

And _God_ I didn't like it. I didn't like the way I held her. I didn't like the way she fit against me. I didn't like the warmth I felt when she snuggled back.

I didn't like where this train of thought was going either.

A deep sigh escaped me, and I wondered what in the world to do. I could act like nothing had happened, but that wouldn't be enough. There was still a chance that she would think something was changing, which wasn't true. The night didn't mean anything to me, and hopefully to her. The briefest flash of question crossed my mind, but it wasn't about her. It was whether or not I was trying to convince myself more than anything else. As soon as I identified it, I did everything in my power to dismiss it, but for some reason, it lingered.

It got to the point of where I literally shook my head to rid myself of whatever was going on inside my head, because even _entertaining_ thoughts like those was dangerous. It would bring nothing but problems, and it shouldn't have even happened in the first place. Just like the hug. Just like the holding hands. Just like the snuggling. If I could go back in time, I would've made better choices, safer choices.

 _Would you really?_ My mind decided to chime in at the best moment possible. Note the sarcasm. I blinked hard, almost like I was trying to unsee the night, but that wasn't possible. It had already been engraved in stone. _But you can still scratch it out._ My brain supplied, for once being helpful. That was something I could manage. I could scratch and scrape until it was unrecognizable, no trace of anything that had happened. A steely resolve rose up in me as I realized that it was the _only_ thing I could do. There was no other way to erase what I had done.

With that in mind, I threw the sheets off of me, walking downstairs with a new goal in mind. I knew she was in the kitchen, so before I entered, I took a deep breath, forcing my face to be impassive. Then, I decided to go a step further by letting a frown pull at the corners of my lips. As soon as my eyes landed on her, I stopped. She looked tired, even from behind. Just the way she sat suggested that she was beyond exhausted. I was pulled out of my thoughts when she turned around, lifting her hand in the slightest wave. A part of me wanted to wave back, but I shoved that part to the furthest, darkest corner of my mind.

Instead, I opted to snort and roll my eyes, moving past her and honing in on the freshly brewed pot of coffee. Without a single word, I grabbed a mug, filling it with the heavenly drink.

"You're welcome." She mumbled, just loud enough for me to hear, and I forced myself to bark out a laugh.

"I'm not the one who should be thankful." I stated, a fake smirk forming on my face. Then, I had the epiphany that just that statement wasn't enough. I had to say something that would leave an impression, something that would turn everything back to how it had always been. The next words fell naturally off of my tongue, and they quickly brought a sense of normalcy back to me, "Next time, do me a favor and suck it up. I already have one crying baby to deal with, and I don't need another one."

I thought she would raise her eyebrows and scoff, so when I saw the flash of hurt in her eyes, it took me off guard. Her jaw dropped, and for the first time, she didn't fire back. It made me question whether or not I had gone too far, but then again, when had I ever really considered her feelings? I tried to drill that in my head as I rolled my eyes, waltzing out of the room. To be honest, I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that I needed to get out of there. I needed to get away from the look on her face, because if I didn't, I would regret my words, and that would just bring me back to square one.

 _What is_ wrong _with you?_ My mind hissed, _You've_ always _done this to her, so what's the problem now?_

Then, it occurred to me that it wasn't because I liked her in any sense of the word. It was because I'm a _human being_ , so if I even had the slightest bit of a heart, I would at least be cordial to her after what had happened.

 _It was just a nightmare. Jesus, what is up with you today?_ I tried to tell myself, but there was a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach that whispered that it was more than just a trivial nightmare. Clary Fray wasn't the type to show weakness just because of a bad dream, so there was obviously something I was missing. I focused on that rather than the slight regret that was growing in me, and a determination quickly took over me.

I _needed_ to find out what the hell that was about. Not because I really cared, but because I was out of the loop. I didn't like knowing that there was a secret I wasn't let in on, even if that secret belonged to Fray. I kept that running through my brain as I turned on heel, moving back into the kitchen. When I walked in, Clary's head was in her arms, which were folded on the counter.

"Leave." Was all she said, not even bothering to look up.

"Not until you tell me what last night was about." I replied, clearly not obeying her command. She didn't groan. She didn't huff. She just sighed, lapsing into silence, "Come on, Shortcake." I hoped the nickname would annoy her enough even to just _look_ at me, but it didn't work, "Strawberry?" I tried. Still no response, "Chili Pepper?" Still, it was to no avail. Another name was about to roll off my tongue, but something cut me off.

"Good morning!" Isabelle sang as she practically skipped into the room. I turned to her, my eyes asking how in the hell she could be so energetic at this hour. Then again, she always seemed to be awake at even the latest-or earliest-of times, "Oh cheer up." I expected it to be directed at Clary, but instead, she was looking at me.

"I'm not the one who needs to cheer up." I muttered, gesturing behind me to Fray. To my surprise, Izzy just raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with her?" She asked, making me confused. How could she _not_ see that there was something wrong with her best friend. I whipped around, only to be met with the sight of a slightly smiling Clary. Her elbow was on the table, propping up her chin, which rested in her hand. There was amusement dancing in her irises, or so it seemed. It was a facade. It _had_ to be a facade. I opened my mouth, about to call her out on it, when a barely visible trace of fear flickered across her face. She shook her head the slightest bit, and had I not been paying such close attention, I wouldn't have caught it.

I was faced with a choice.

I could snitch, or I could keep it between us.

Then, I realized that, if I told Isabelle about the nightmare, it would bring up a lot of questions I couldn't answer without causing a disaster.

"Everything." I finally responded, and Iz snorted.

"Whatever you say." Clary chimed in, "Whatever you say."

But I didn't miss the grateful note in her tone.

* * *

 **Sooooooo... Did you guys like it? Because I did ;) Jace's reaction was a given, because he couldn't just change in a snap. No, our poor little sweet Jacey-poo** _ **has**_ **to go through some state of denial. Actually, a lot of states of denial. I'm sorry, but I'm going to make you suffer. Actually, I'm not that sorry, because when writing tortures you, that means it has made an impact, and I'm pretty good with that ;) WELP HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND MY FAITHFULS. LOVE TO YOU ALL**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! So this one is a pretty long chapter. I just had to fit it in all at once, because... Well... I have no logic. I just** _ **did**_ **. It's pretty great though. I like it alot, and I think you guys will too, purely because of Jace Jacing better than Jace just Jaced in the last chapter. He really makes up for it... And more (cue the wiggling eyebrows). Okay so don't take that in the wrong way... I don't write...** _ **that**_ **... Let's just get off this subject and ON WITH THE STORY!**

 **CLARY POV**

48 hours.

It was a total of forty-eight hours since I'd last slept, and it was really taking a toll on me. I'd tested my luck once with Jace, and judging by his actions the morning after, I wouldn't get away with it again. The nightmares were still there though. They flashed across my eyes if I even dozed off for a second. So that put me between a rock and a hard place. If I went to sleep, I would have nightmares. If I had nightmares, I would wake up a wreck. If I woke up a wreck, I would piss off Jace. If I pissed Jace off, he would say something in the morning-most likely for Isabelle to hear. If Isabelle heard, she would watch me like a hawk at every second. All in all, there was no way it could end well.

My genius solution? Don't sleep.

Granted, it was probably the worst plan known to man, and I was realizing that now, but it had been a quick fix. Sadly, as I moved sluggishly around the kitchen at five in the morning, trying to make coffee, it was backfiring. Every so often, I would stumble over my own feet, lurching in a dangerously far direction before grabbing the counter and repeating the process. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of trying, I was sitting in a stool, sipping my steaming mug of caffeine.

I sighed, setting the cup down. Had I not been afraid that any sign of rest would make me fall asleep, I would've dropped my head into my arms. When a sharp cry penetrated the silence, I groaned. The devil of a fake baby was at it again. Both nights I had been taking care of it. It wasn't as much because I _wanted_ to, but rather it was because it would distract me, since Candy Crush was getting pretty uneventful. Also, it kept Jace asleep, which would prevent him from knowing that I was already awake.

I got up from the chair, fully intending to walk up the stairs, but the crying stopped. Normally, this would've been great, Jace Lightwood _actually_ holding up his end of the assignment. Now, it was different though. He would know I wasn't in bed, and that would bring up questions, because Jace was a nosy person. He would do anything to find out a secret if he wasn't in on it, which meant bad news for me. Then again, he could be too tired to even realize that I was gone. Personally, I was rooting for option B.

Sadly, I was out of luck, because I heard the sound of someone walking down the stairs. I prayed that it was _anyone_ else, but I knew in my heart that life wasn't going my way. For a while, it was silent. I knew he was there, and he knew I knew he was there. Still, neither of us said a word. Finally, who knows how long later, I turned to face Jace, my eyebrows raised.

"Do you need something, or were you just enjoying the view?" I snarked. Normally, it would've earned a sarcastic snort or sassy retort, but today, all he did was narrow his eyes. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, because I knew that look. That look said that he was trying to get me to crack, all while attempting to figure it out himself, "Jace?" I tried to snap him out of it to no avail, "Goldilocks." Was my last resort, but still, he didn't speak. That was when I shut up, letting him do it in his own time.

"What are you doing up?" He asked simply, and I gave him a flat look.

"I can't sleep." I responded after a suitable amount of 'Duh, you idiot' silence. Just to emphasize my point, I added an eye roll, but he didn't seem fazed. That was when it occurred to me that there was the slightest possibility that he had an inkling of an idea of what was going on inside me, so I needed to get out, "I'm going... Somewhere away from you." I decided on the excuse, then got to my feet. A few steps later, something peculiar started happening. I began to sway from side to side, unable to stop myself, and my hand loosened its grip on my mug of its own accord. A loud crash signaled that it had slipped from my grasp, but it became background noise compared to the ringing that started up in my ears.

"Clary!" I faintly heard Jace's voice call, but it sounded warped, like I was underwater. Then, the world began to tilt on its axis. The last things I felt were strong arms grabbing me, halting my descent to the ground. Everything promptly turned black.

 **JACE POV**

"Clary!" I yelled as the redhead in front of me started to sway, but she didn't even make an effort to stand. Right when she started to actually fall, I lunged forward, catching her just before she hit the floor, "Clary." I called, but there was no response. Her eyes stayed softly shut, and she didn't stir an inch. I cursed under my breath, picking her up bridal style and carrying her to the couch in the living room. As soon as I set her down, I crouched by her side and checked to make sure she was breathing.

Luckily, she was.

When I got over the fact that she was out cold-but alive-I took a closer look. She appeared peaceful. Normally, that would've been slap-in-the-face obvious, but I noticed now that she hadn't looked like that in the past few days. Her heart hadn't really been in the insults she'd thrown my way, nor had she really even attempted to fire back at me when I said something. It was weird, because it had been a long time since Clary had been this quiet. Even then, it had only lasted for a short amount of time. Now, something was really wrong.

I sighed, wracking my sleep-ridden brain for some sort of an answer, but I came up blank. For a little while, it was there was absolutely no noise. Then, it hit me like a freight train.

The nightmare.

It _had_ to be the nightmare, unless something else happened that I didn't know about, which wasn't usually the case. Normally, I knew everything, whether people wanted me to or not, because I was a determined person who didn't like being the idiot in the dark. The next thing that came to me honestly made me want to beat myself up. I was most likely part of the reason this had happened.

I should've just let that whole night between us go. I shouldn't have been so hard on her about it, because clearly, it was more than I'd initially thought. Maybe if I'd just-for once-gotten over my ego, she wouldn't be like this. Still, I didn't know what would make her faint. That is, unless...

The pieces fell in place inside my mind. The baby hadn't cried at night. Clary had been looking like a ghost. She'd fainted.

She hadn't been sleeping a lot. If at all. My pacing commenced as I walked restlessly around the living room. It wasn't even six, so the chance of anyone else being up was zero, and I knew for a fact that my siblings were not ones to be awoken. Sure, Isabelle was light and cheery when she woke _herself_ up, but if _I_ were to try waking her up, hell would ensue. Alec would probably punch me then go back to a blissful oblivion. Max would freak out, because he was probably too young to understand that, even though she was knocked out, he would freak.

The more I walked, the calmer I got. Slowly but surely, the fear was fading, but it was quickly replaced with concern. It was an odd emotion considering the fact that it was directed at Clary, but I tried to dismiss that thought as I realized that I should be caring about her more than being weirded out myself.

That was when she started to whimper. Again, I had absolutely no idea what to do, so for a minute, I couldn't help letting her struggle. Something definitely had to be done though. I searched my mind for something, anything, that would help her, but I came up blank. Then, an idea struck me. Honestly, I didn't think it would work, but there was no harm in trying. I mean, it couldn't really get worse.

That was proven wrong as she began tossing and turning, almost rolling off of the couch. So I did what I had to. Rather than leaving her cramped on the hard cushion, I lifted her into my arms yet again. As soon as she was settled and I started to walk toward the stairs, the shaking stopped. She ended up unconsciously wrapping her arms around my neck, and the thought that I could hold this against her forever entered my mind. I quickly realized that making fun of it would probably cross a line, just like I'd crossed it when she'd had her first nightmare, so I needed to keep my mouth shut.

It seemed like the universe was on my side, because she was light enough for me to brave the stairs. It still seemed like an eternity before we reached my room, and I thanked everything that I'd forgotten to close the door. When I walked in, I gently set her down on the bed, but the second I let her go, a crease formed between her eyebrows. That was when I wondered if she was actually asleep, but as soon as her soft cries began again, I knew she was still in the nightmare.

Then, I decided to try my previous idiotic plan. I crouched beside the bed, taking a deep breath. If she woke up, she would probably tease me forever, but that didn't matter at the moment. What mattered was helping her out. For a second, I thought I should wake her up, but I soon remembered she hadn't gotten any sleep at all, so I decided that it would be better to comfort her as much as possible without actually letting her get up. Then again, she'd _fainted_ , ergo, I probably wouldn't be able to awaken her if I tried.

So Plan A was put into motion. My hand was shaking as I reached out to her, but I paused right before I actually touched her. Hesitating was taking too much time, so I sighed, combing my fingers through her hair. It shocked me when she relaxed marginally. The shaking lessened, and the crease disappeared, making my shoulders slump the tiniest bit in relief. The logical thing to do was pull away right now, but I couldn't seem to stop, because I was scared that, if I let go, it would start up again.

For about five minutes, I stayed in that position, repeating the gesture again and again. Just when I thought she was okay, her lips fell back into a frown. I kept brushing, but it was starting to fail, which worried me even more. Now, I was completely out of any semblance of ideas. I was pulling away, about to start my nervous pacing again, but she suddenly grabbed my hand. That made me pause and lose my breath.

"Hold me." If I hadn't been straining my ears in the previous silence, I wouldn't have heard her words. I swallowed hard, an internal battle raging in my mind. She was asleep, so she probably wouldn't realize if I was there or not. Keeping that in mind, I tried to tug out of her grip gently, so as not to rouse her, but then her eyes opened. A gasp escaped me, and I expected her to drop my hand immediately and scowl, telling me to go. But she didn't. Instead, she stared at me with both panic and a desperate shine in her gaze. I took a shaky inhale, forcing a smile. My mouth opened, and I would never know what I was going to say, because she spoke first.

"Hold me." She repeated, and my heart stopped.

"Clary, I don't think..." I trailed off when a pained expression crossed her face, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was barely a whisper, "You're right. You don't need another crybaby."

"Shortcake..." My heart clenched as my guilt amplified by a hundred. My suspicions were confirmed. _I_ was part of the reason she stayed up, so I _really_ needed to make that up to her. Without another word, I pulled my hand back, and this time, she released it without protest. Her eyes fluttered shut, but she couldn't hide the rolling droplets from me. She thought I was going to leave her. I knew that much, just by her expression.

I was such an idiot for doing this, and it was crossing the line for both of us, but when I took one last look at her face, my mind was made up. Before I walked away, I couldn't resist running my fingers through her hair one last time. Then, I made my way to the other side of the bed, crawling into it and under the sheets. As if on instinct, she flipped to face me, and I blinked hard before lifting an arm. Her eyes widened in surprise, and for a minute, all she did was stare.

"My arm is getting tired." The weak joke escaped me, and I felt a spark of triumph when the tiniest flicker of a smile appeared on her lips. It was only for a second, but it was still an accomplishment. She scooted my way until she was fitted against me, and I locked her into my embrace. There was just enough space between us that when she looked up, our gazes clashed.

"Why?" The one word was so very small, and for once, I was speechless.

"I-I.." I stuttered, shocking even myself. Jace Lightwood didn't _stutter_. Jonathan Christopher Lightwood did not _stutter_ at such a simple question. Then again, that question wasn't really simple. It had so many layers that even I couldn't identify, so I told her the truth, "I don't know." I murmured. Bracing myself, I waited for the interrogation that was bound to come. Rather than firing questions at me, she nodded. For a second, all I did was sit there, still questioning whether or not she would say anything else.

She didn't.

Instead, she buried her face in my shoulder, tightening her arms around my neck. I could still feel her shaking, so I hugged her closer, rubbing comforting circles on her back. Slowly but surely, her tremors softened until they ceased. My eyelids began to droop, but I forced myself to stay awake, because I knew for a fact that she wasn't asleep yet.

"Clary." My voice was the tiniest bit slurred, "You need to sleep."

"It's almost time to get up." Her voice was quiet and resigned, and I looked over at my alarm clock.

5:30 AM

"You're not going to school today." The phrase came out firm, showing that I was not about to budge. I felt her breath as she sighed against my skin.

"Okay." The one word hung in the air, and I was about to protest until I realized she had, in fact, agreed, "But you realize that you are, right?" That caused me to hesitate. What I _wanted_ to say and what I was _supposed_ to say were two very different things. The silence in the air was heavy. At least, it was heavy for me. She, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea about my inner turmoil. I had half a mind to keep it that way, but the other half screamed at me that I should just get over myself and do what I felt in my gut. I had a feeling she was thinking that her question didn't even justify an answer, so she said nothing else.

"No, I'm not." The words slipped out without my permission, and I found myself frowning. Apparently, I had no verbal filter at the moment. On top of that, my brain was not connected to my mouth either, "I was an ass and went too far, so I owe it to you." Why couldn't I have just shut up? Why did I have to keep talking? I could've, I _should've_ , stopped. I could've, I _should've_ , left it at saying I wasn't going to school. But I just had to go on. Something in me wanted to word vomit some more, so I locked my jaw tight.

"Jace..." Clary trailed off, moving back just enough to look me in the eyes, "You don't owe me anything. This is more than enough." My first instinct was to take it as sarcasm or a joke, but the sincerity in her voice was undeniable. I couldn't help guiding her head under my chin and holding her tighter.

"Go to sleep." I whispered softly

And she did.

I woke up to the warm feeling of sunlight shining into the room. For some reason, there was a slight smile on my face, which was highly unusual considering the fact that I was an absolute beast most mornings. That is, unless I'd had a girl over the night before, whether I kicked her out before I went to sleep or woke up and kicked her out then. So why did I feel at least semi-happy-ish? I went to stretch, but that was when I realized something was pinning me down. My heart stopped when I realized just why I couldn't lift my arm.

I took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself before looking down. Even though I knew, the sight I saw still shocked me. Clarissa Adele Fray was basically using me as a pillow, her head on my chest, and my arms were wrapped tightly around her. Her legs were tangled with my own, and I could feel the steady rise and fall of her chest.

 _By the angel, what have I done?_

I closed my eyes, not knowing whether or not I should untangle us and leave, or stay here and hold her. It wasn't a simple decision, and I didn't know exactly why. My first instinct should've been to get away as fast as possible, then take a hot shower and wash the stench of Clary off of me. Then promptly leave for school without waking her up.

 _She smells like apples_. My oh-so-helpful brain decided to supply. It couldn't have sided with me. No, of _course_ it had to side with that stupid little thing inside me called a heart. Now, I was starting to panic. Total panic. I forced myself to take a shaky inhale, trying to calm down. Then, the risk that someone would walk in occurred to me. That was when I _really_ started freaking out.

I started to attempt unwrapping my arms and sliding her off, but she tightened her hold around my neck.

"Don't go." Judging by the way her words were slurred, she wasn't fully awake, but the pain in them was absolutely clear. She sounded scared, and I didn't know why. If anything, I expected her to kick me out as soon as she was coherent. Obviously, that didn't happen. It was just my luck that she snuggled closer, her heavy breaths fanning across my bare shoulder. I hated to admit it, and I sounded like an ultimate chick, but I was done for. I didn't take time to wonder why in the hell I felt like doing this, or why in the hell I was this nice to Clary in the first place. I just rubbed circles on my back, not knowing if I was trying to comfort her or me.

"Jace, honey?" The yell came through the door, followed by a gentle knock, "It's time to get up."

"I'm not feeling well, Mom." I replied without a second of hesitation. Well, I guess the choice was made. A deep sigh penetrated the door, and I waited for her to tell me why.

"There'd better not be a girl in there, Jonathan Christopher Lightwood." Everything in me tensed, and I stared at the door in shock. I didn't think she ever knew about the girls I snuck in. Well, whether she _actually knew_ or just _suspected_ it was a mystery to me, and I didn't quite have time to ask. That was when I saw the doorknob turning, and I searched mind for _anything_ to do. The only idea I had was to shove her off of me, and I truly contemplated doing it, but when I saw that she looked peaceful for the first time in a while, I didn't have it in me.

So my genius idea was to pull the covers up to my neck and hope Mom wouldn't ask questions. I did it in the nick of time, because the second I yanked them over the both me and Clary, the door opened.

"Hey, Mom." I smiled weakly, trying to make it seem like I really wasn't feeling well. She crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her toes impatiently on the floor, "So, I-" A coughing fit bubbled out of my throat, and her eyes softened a fraction. It took everything in me not to smile triumphantly because I could tell instantly that she'd given in. Then, something changed in her, and I didn't like the look on her face.

"You can stay home." She sighed, resigned, causing my tense body to loosen, but I quickly got the feeling that there was more, "If you pull that comforter down right now." My face must've dropped, because she smirked, knowing she'd caught me red-handed. I had to think of an excuse. Fast, "Let me rephrase that." She gave me the 'Mom look', the look that said 'You will obey me, whether you like it or not', "You _are_ going to pull that comforter down _this moment_ , or I will."

"But... but..." I had nothing. Absolutely nothing. When I made no move to do anything but stare, she began striding towards me, "Fine." My voice came out as a growl, and the way she glared let me know I was treading on thin ice. The new problem was that my arms were pinned, which I really didn't have time for. The top one was easiest to move, and I managed to do so without waking her up. WIth a deep breath, I slid the comforter down, revealing a head of untamed read curls. I couldn't help but snort, and the movement of my chest must've woken her up, because she tipped her head up, eyes groggy and slightly confused.

I opened my mouth to tease her, but the noise of surprise that didn't come from either of us caught my attention. I snapped to face Mom, but Clary must've still been half-asleep, because all she did was drop her head back down and snuggle into me yet again. Mom's jaw was hanging low, and her face clearly portrayed her absolute shock.

"It isn't what it looks like." Were the words that immediately rolled off my tongue, and she raised an eyebrow, "She-" I immediately cut myself off, because what had happened was Clary's thing to tell. Giving out that information, the time that she was absolutely vulnerable, would be nothing less of betrayal. Mom was staring at me expectantly, and my eyes flickered between her and the girl half on top of me. After everything had happened, after everything that would no doubt change between us, I couldn't turn on her, "I can't explain, but we didn't... We aren't... We're not like _that_." Mom pinched the bridge of her nose with a deep sigh.

"Jonathan Christopher, tell me _this instant_ what is going on." She hissed, clearly fed up with me. I was so grounded if I didn't think of something _fast_.

"They came back." I heard the whisper below me, and I looked down to find Clary's eyes soft and pained. Her eyes shined with unshed tears, but somehow she held them back, "Jace was just trying to be there for me. I..." She trailed off, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I haven't slept at all the past two nights. I fainted _early_ this morning, and Jace took care of me and I..." Her hard swallow was visible, "I just needed someone to hold me." That was when the first tear fell. Then suddenly, she was sobbing and clutching me so tight that I was scared she would cut off my circulation.

"Clary..." Mom murmured, I forced my eyes away from Clary to look at her, only to find all traces of anger gone from her face. Worried was too small of a word to describe the expression she wore, "Is there anything we can do, Sweetie?" Mom used her soothing voice that she'd always pulled out when any of us would cry.

"Just... Just please... don't tell... anyone... else." She choked out between her hyperventilation fits. All mom did was nod, "They'll... take it... the wrong... way." Yet again, Mom nodded.

"Of course." She trained a comforting smile on Clary, who offered a watery smile back, "And Jace..." She seemed to contemplate her options, and I didn't quite know what I wanted her to choose. If she said no, then I would have an excuse to get out of here. If she said yes, then I could do what I wanted.

 _What you want?_ My thoughts shocked even myself, but I couldn't deny them. For some reason, seeing Clary so vulnerable changed the way I saw her. She wasn't some brat like I'd tried to make myself see her. It was irrational how my mind had spun a one-eighty in such a short amount of time-it honestly was, but it happened. There was no way in hell I could let _her_ know that though. Not yet.

"No funny business." Mom pointed at me sternly, and I didn't know whether to be happy or terrified, "You both are sick with a cold, and your phone had better be on so I can call you from work." The last part was directed at me. She then turned Clary's way, "I'll call your mom and let her know."

"Thank you." I could hear the genuine smile in Clary's voice, and it lifted my spirits a little.

"Thank you." I found myself whispering. Without another word, Clary dropped her head back on my chest, continuing to use me like a pillow. For once, my cheeks were burning as my mother was literally watching a girl _cuddle_ me. I mean, I wasn't exactly doing anything to stop it, which made it all the more embarrassing. But that wasn't even the worst part.

The absolute most horrifying thing was the fact that just before my grown _mother_ walked out the door...

She winked at me.

 **So I think we can all safely assume that Clarissa Adele Fray can be an** _ **idiot**_ **, but I do see where she's coming from... Well I mean I kinda have to because I, ya know, wrote it :D. So review what you guys think! And the question of the chapter is...**

 **What is the best thing you look for in a partner (like boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife)? (It's still February and I forgot to ask this in the Valentine's Day spirit)**

 **So these A/N's are pretty short today! Welp goodbye my faithfuls!**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello, my Faithful Followers! So this chapter is short. And by short, I mean** _ **short**_ **, but I** _ **have**_ **to post, because I know I've been MIA for a while. Life has just gotten extremely busy, and I'll be honest, I've hit a writer's block here. I mean, I know** _ **exactly**_ **where this story is going, and I have future scenes already planned, but it's just the filler and the actual** _ **GETTING THERE**_ **that's the problem. I'm sooooo sorry I've been gone, but I've also got exciting news! (Well, exciting for me...hehe...) I GOT A NATIONAL SILVER MEDAL FOR MY POETRY IN A WRITING CONTEST! It was literally the accomplishment of my life, and I just** _ **had**_ **to share it with you guys, because a lot of the time, you're all my support and inspiration. So thank you for always motivating me to be a better writer.**

 **LAST REALLY IMPORTANT THING!** **Please check out my bio. It's new and updated and it's become way more professional, so take a look and if you like what you see, PM at any time!**

 **CLARY POV**

I woke up in Jace's arms. Again. At least this time I knew who it was, and didn't think it could be some random stranger holding me. At least, this time, I didn't feel the urge to get up. Then again, that could've been the sleep-fogged mind talking. I lifted my head slightly to meet Jace's gaze, but sleep was calling me back, so I promptly returned my head to its previous position on his chest. I couldn't help but snuggle closer to him. For warmth. Purely for warmth, because body heat helps with cold.

 _Yeah, right. Warmth_. A frown crossed my face briefly at my own inner monologue. What surprised me next was that Jace's arms tightened around me, and I couldn't help the blush that rose to my cheeks. There wasn't a semblance of a rational thought in my head, except for the fact that it was comfortable. For some reason, I made no effort to move, but rather sighed, basking in the coziness that our position brought.

Sadly, I felt Jace begin to stir, and I part of me was a little disappointed, which shouldn't be a thing at all. I just knew he would let me go, destroying the safe feeling that encased me. It was extremely weird that I felt this way, because it was _Jonathan Christopher Lightwood_ holding me. There was no way this would end well, and I knew I had to brace myself for the worst. Yet again, he would try to balance the scales, so all I could do was prepare for it.

"Morning, Shortcake." The gravelly words came out of his mouth, and he started to untwine us. Just like I'd expected. My eyes were cast downward so I could avoid the look in his, which would no doubt be triumphant. I reluctantly unwrapped my arms from around his neck with a deep exhale. As soon as I saw the clock, surprise took me over.

11:04 AM

"You stayed?" It came out as more of a question than a statement, as I finally looked up to meet his gaze. I waited for the insult. I waited for his inevitable sneer, his dry laughter and teasing. It shocked me that, when it was time, they didn't come. In fact, nothing really came, because all he did was stare at me. He settled on shrugging, which shocked me to the core. I made the wise decision not to question it and wait for him to respond. Again, I made an assumption that it wouldn't happen, but again, he took me off guard.

"Yeah..." He scratched the back of his neck as I moved off of his chest into a sitting position at his side. Jace mimicked me, and we both leaned back against the headboard. For once, the silent between us wasn't tense or uncomfortable. Instead, it was a calm silence, neither of us wanting to break it in fear that words would ruin it. Then, Jace turned my way, and for some reason, there was concern in his golden irises, "Do you need to go back to sleep?" His words were barely audible, but I heard them loud and clear. I briefly wondered if he meant he would stay with me, but when he got out of bed and switched to standing, I got my answer.

"I'm fine." I whispered softly, even though it was only a half-truth. Jace stared at me warily, probably knowing I was telling a white lie. He opened his mouth to say something, but promptly shut it. My head tilted to the side on instinct, conveying my curiosity, yet he chose to ignore it. "What Jace am I going to get?" The question rolled off my tongue of its own accord, and I silently screamed at my lack of filter. Now it was his eyebrows furrowed. My jaw bobbed up and down while I searched for an explanation that wouldn't be too harsh, considering what he'd done for me. "Am I going to get the Jace that I saw last night and this morning, or are you going to try and balance the scales by being all mean again."

As soon as the words were out, the air became suffocating. I waited impatiently for his reply, and I could tell there was a war going on in his mind. His hands clenched in his pockets, causing me to try to distract myself with the slight anger that girl's pajama pants didn't have that luxury. It was honestly a stupid thing to focus on, but waiting in agony would drive me insane.

"How about the Jace who apologizes for being an ass?" My eyes snapped up to meet his at his half-statement, half-question. For the first time since I'd met Jace Lightwood, he had never looked this vulnerable. His lips were twisted in a half-smile, and I realized that maybe, just maybe, things would change between us for the better. Things would change no matter what, but it was possible that they might in a good way, "I'm sorry." He murmured quietly, and when I processed the words, a slight smile grew on my face.

"Apology accepted." My grin only grew, and I found myself biting my bottom lip and staring at him through my lashes. It wasn't in the seductive way, but rather it was hopeful and nervous. When he flashed his teeth, the worry fled, and I realized that we'd just made an unspoken treaty. Still, I had to make sure, so I held out a hand, "Truce?" I asked softly, and to my surprise, he shook it immediately. I had no idea how things changed so fast. Maybe it was because we saw different sides of each other that made us seem more... human. Honestly, I was baffled, but I didn't want to question it.

That was when we both notice that our hands were still connected between us. We cleared our throats at the same time, releasing each other and dropping our arms to our sides. For a minute, we looked around the room, avoiding each other's gaze, because this was new to us. Normally, when we were together, we were fighting to the death, so actually having a civil conversation was foreign to us.

I opened my mouth to say something, but a loud ringing cut me off. Jace huffed out a sigh, walking over to his phone on his nightstand and accepting the call.

"Yes, we're fine." Jace answered whatever question he was asked, and I knew that it was no doubt Maryse on the other side. Being me, I couldn't help but eavesdrop, "No... we just woke up... _Mother!_... I told you there would be none." His eyes flicked to me, signaling that it was probably her questioning about 'Funny business.' That caused my face to grow hot, but luckily, Jace switched back to looking elsewhere, "Yes... Okay... Uh huh... Love you too...Bye." Right when he ended the call, he breathed out a sigh of relief.

"What did she ask?" I questioned, waiting for the impending embarrassing response.

"Just if we were okay and how you were sleeping." He wisely chose to leave out the implication part. I nodded, not really knowing what else to do, and the silence quickly turned awkward, "Hey!" The exclamation came out of nowhere, causing me to jump, "Would you mind making breakfast?" There was a hopeful look on his face, and I had a feeling it was because my eggs were awesome. I'd known he liked them for a long time, because he was constantly stealing Isabelle's plate.

"Fine." I made a mock exasperated noise, but I couldn't suppress my grin, "Let's go." He followed me downstairs and to the kitchen like a puppy. When I turned away from the refrigerator after getting the ingredients, I couldn't help but laugh at the desperate look on his face. He must've been hungry since it was 11 o'clock, and he'd stayed in bed with me all night and morning. That propelled me to work fast, and before I knew it, I was sliding a plate toward him, along with some bacon I'd cooked on the side. He didn't even wait a second before digging in, and a snort escaped me. He finished before I'd eaten half of mine, so needless to say, he'd been starving.

"Well, I would've told you to slow down, but I didn't have time." I teased, but it was good-natured rather than filled with malice. He rolled his eyes, yet he couldn't keep his smile at bay. After only about an hour, it felt more amazing than I'd ever dreamed to get along with him. There was a weight that seemed to be lifted off my chest, and I couldn't stop the happiness that bubbled up inside me. I quickly finished my breakfast, silence falling over us again. This time, it wasn't awkward though. It was comforting and friendly as we just enjoyed each other's company.

Suddenly, a wave of drowsiness hit me again, like the biggest food coma I'd ever had. Jace seemed to notice, because his eyes shined with concern. Without a word, he picked up both of our plates, setting them in the sink to be washed later. Then, he grabbed my arm gently, leading me back toward the stairs.

"I'm not tired..." I whined, but the yawn that left me didn't help my case. Not at all.

"Sure you're not." He shot me a bland glance, then continued to tug me along. I groaned, following despite myself, and I didn't have to see his face to know that he was wearing a smug smirk. That brought me the urge to dig my heels into the ground, but I knew Jace would drag me along, whether I was on my feet or not. It was sad, but he would be able to do it without an iota of effort, so I didn't even bother.

We got to the room, and I huffed, shooting him a mock glare before crawling back under the sheets. I sighed, staring at Jace with slight disdain. We then had the same thought at the same time. Was Jace going to join me, or would he do the expected thing and say 'I hope you feel better' then walk downstairs and watch a movie or TV show or whatever the heck he wanted to. I could see the war going on in his brain, and I waited nervously to see which side would win. To be honest, I didn't know what I wanted either, so I left it up to him.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." He said under his breath, and my heart pounded as he slipped in beside me. _Now_ it was awkward, because it could go two ways yet again. He could stay beside me and just watch me from where he was, or he could cuddle me again. I guess he decided on the former, because he made to move to hold me. With a deep breath, I laid my head down on the pillow, closing my eyes, but the second I did, images played in front of me. I tried with all my might to make them disappear. They wouldn't. No matter how hard I tried, they wouldn't go away.

Apparently, the universe was against me, because I was falling asleep to the flashbacks. The farther I got to fully sleeping, the more vivid they became. Finally, I was trapped, and my mind convinced me that it was all real. The fear. The pain. Everything.

I woke up screaming.

 **Yeah... I mean it** _ **started**_ **happy... Well, I guess that's it for now! I will try as** _ **hard as possible**_ **to come up with more ideas for this, so please be patient. It will all come in due time. OH AND ALSO THE BACHELOR HAS REACHED BOTH 700 FOLLOWERS AND 17TH PLACE ON THE K-T MOST FOLLOWS RANK!WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!**

 **Question of the Chapter: If you could change one thing in the world today (it can be simple or humongous), what would you change? And BE ORIGINAL! Say something that really matters to you, something that helps shape your view on the world.**

 **Adios for now, my Faithfuls!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Shadowhunter5801**

 **PS PLEASE, AGAIN, LOOK AT MY BIO AND RECOMMEND ME TO OTHERS IF YOU CAN! PM WITH QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS!**


	11. Chapter 10

**HELLO MY FAITHFULS! I have finally found inspiration again! All you Malec lovers will like this chapter...I hope (insert nervous laughter). So basically I'm just so happy that I FINALLY GOT THIS. After MONTHS of writer's block, I GOT THIS! I'm so excited to be back with you guys, because everything you all say means a lot to me. We have also reached OVER 300,000 VIEWS ON THE BACHELOR! It's pretty amazing, and I couldn't have done it without you guys! You are a big part of the reason I absolutely adore this site, so thank you all. And now ON WITH THE STORY...**

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

A week had passed since Jace and I had made the truce, and boy was it glorious. My life had been absent of demeaning jabs and insults, so all in all, things were pretty great. The thing was, we were keeping it on the down low, because there wasn't a doubt in our minds that Isabelle would take it as a romantic turn of events. In truth, there was nothing romantic about it. Jace made out with Seelie half the time. I continued to be happily alone. All in all, the world was a better place.

And today was the day.

Today was the day we would finally get rid of the godforsaken demon that was supposed to resemble a child. In all honest, that was probably _exactly_ what it would be like to take care of a newborn-perhaps even on the better side. Needless to say, I wouldn't be having babies anytime soon. Not by a long shot. It wasn't like it was even a possibility considering the fact that I had no boyfriend, but I'd like to think it was my choice.

" _Clarissa!_ " Jace hissed, elbowing me in the side and pulling me out of my daze. I shot him a playful glare, then tilted my head in question. He rolled his eyes and gestured for me to turn forward, and I am not proud to say that I squeaked when I was met with the sight of Starkweather in front of me. The teacher raised an eyebrow, and I blushed, shoving the plastic creature into his hands.

"I see you two are getting along." He said pointedly, and for some reason, I blushed. Jace snorted at my reaction. I shot him a cold glance, but that only made him chuckle. Then, I realized what I should probably do, despite the fact that I didn't want to say it out loud.

"I-we-should probably thank you." I admitted, staring our teacher straight in the eyes. He smiled as if it was what he wanted to hear.

"You're welcome." Was all he said in response, then walked to the next pair to collect their demonic beast. That was when I turned to face Jace with a smile, only to find that he was already looking at me. He was wearing a curious expression, and for some reason, it unnerved me. Maybe it was because of the way his golden eyes were narrowed, as if assessing something about me. The thing was, I had no idea what, exactly, he was scrutinizing.

"Why did you blush?" He asked simply, and I furrowed my eyebrows, not knowing what he meant, "When Starkweather said we were getting along." Jace clarified, and I chewed on my bottom lip, not embarrassed in the slightest. Being embarrassed would mean I had done something wrong, which I hadn't. It was a general reaction to the way our teacher had said it. I told Jace as much, and he nodded as if taking it into consideration. Finally, he seemed to be satisfied with my answer, and I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding.

"So I guess that means no more cuddling." Dammit the suggestive way he said it had me blushing again. The truth was, the cuddling hadn't stopped, because the second we tried not to, the nightmares would come back full force. _Now_ I was embarrassed. I shushed him frantically, my eyes flicking toward Maia. She was across the room, so she couldn't have heard, but there was the danger of someone, _anyone_ , else eavesdropping, and if _that_ got to Izzy, we were dead meat. All Jace did was smirk, as if he hadn't just endangered our lives.

"No more cuddling." I agreed, and I tried to ignore the fact that I knew I would miss it. Sue me for liking the feeling of someone holding me when I was scared. No guy had ever done that for me before, so it was only logical that I would like it. And want it. And hate wanting it. Especially from Jace. It wasn't that he was a bad guy, not anymore, but he was way, _way_ off limits. That was when he leaned over, placing his lips inches from my ear, and I froze completely.

"You're cute when you blush." He murmured, and my jaw dropped. My heartbeat kicked up more than a notch as he pulled back away to a normal distance, and my cheeks turned a deep shade of red. His smirk became more defined, and I rationalized that he was just saying it to mess with me. The devious look in his eyes only proved my point. Still, I couldn't help but stare at him, flabbergasted, until the bell rang a moment later. It snapped me out of my daze, and my eyes narrowed at him.

"What's your game?" I asked in suspicion, but he only grinned as he got up and walked away, merging with the crowd. When I rose to my feet, shaking my head to get the moment out of my mind, my eyes connected with Maia's. Her's were wide, and they clearly communicated that she'd witnessed the previous scene. As I rushed past her into the hall, only one thought repeated in my mind.

 _Well, shit._

* * *

Lunch went without a hitch, and I thought I was in the green. I honest to god thought I was in the green, because Maia didn't say a word. Oh how wrong I was, because the second I stepped out of the school's double doors, I was being dragged somewhere unknown. My captor paid no heed to the fact that I did not have their leg length, ergo, I could _not_ walk as fast as them.

So commence the relentless stumbling.

After what seemed like an eternity of going, we stopped behind the bleachers.

"Alec, you realize this is a make out spot, right?" I pointed out when said boy spun around to face me. He pinned me with a flat stare, and I crossed my arms over my chest, rolling my eyes, "Is there a reason you dragged me here?" My eyebrows were raised in mock irritation, and he frowned the tiniest bit. His look told me that I should know what had him kidnapping me at the first sign of the day's freedom, but I honestly had no idea. I was just thanking the gods that it wasn't Maia who'd taken me away.

"You know _exactly_ why I dragged you here." He mimicked my crossed arms, his gaze steadily meeting mine. My heart pounded in my chest, because he was right. I _did_ know. For a while, I'd had the suspicion that Alec had walked in on Jace and I one night. The curious looks he'd been shooting us in the mornings were my key clue. Then again, I could've been seeing things, but judging by our current position, my assessment had been accurate.

"It's not romantic." Was the genius sentence I blurted out. It was true, but I'd said it in probably the most incriminating way possible. My tone was slightly higher than normal, and I was currently blushing like crazy. I had no doubt that my face was red. _Tomato_ red. To my great surprise, Alec was staring at me like I was a lunatic. Maybe he didn't believe my statement. Scratch that. There was _no way_ he believed my statement.

"I mean, it was only because I was having nightmares." I backtracked, this time in a much calmer voice, "We would've never done that in a normal situation." Then again, it had _become_ Jace's and my 'normal situation,' but I wouldn't be saying that to Alec anytime soon. I realized in that moment that Alec's expression wasn't one of disbelief. It was of complete and total confusion, "Wait, I think we're thinking about two totally different things." I realized aloud.

"What are _you_ talking about?" Alec narrowed his eyes, and I shifted nervously from foot to foot. If anyone found out, I had no doubt that Jace would personally murder me. Despite our budding friendship, he had a reputation to uphold. That reputation did _not_ involve cuddling. Especially with the girl he was still rumored to hate, "Clarissa..." Alec trailed off, his tone leaving no room to budge.

" _You_ were the one who brought me here for a reason." I challenged, finding it in myself to stand up taller, "So unless you really _do_ want to make out with me, start talking." Hopefully, my forcefulness would outweigh his, because generally, Alec wasn't the most confrontational type of person. That is, unless there was something he really wanted. For a minute, there was an intense battle of wills, neither of us willing to back down. Then, Alec sighed, the fight suddenly leaving him as he looked down.

"Magnus." The one word was barely audible coming from his mouth, and clarity washed over me.

"Who's he?" I asked softly, hoping to appear welcoming rather than all-knowing. To be honest, the latter was what truly applied to me, because now that I knew, Magnus had talked about it freely with me. He had no one else to talk to about it, so it was only expected that I knew every last detail about their relationship-or rather, lack thereof so far. Again, not something I would be telling Alec.

"You know who he is." Alec whispered after a long pause, eyes still trained on the ground. It was my turn to sigh, and I set a hand on his shoulder. He finally raised his head. I smiled softly.

"But I want you to tell me who he is to _you_." I murmured, hoping I didn't sound too demanding. Judging by the fact that Alec hadn't run for the hills yet, I was doing pretty alright. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but the shrill ring of my phone cut him off. I was going to ignore it, but he gestured for me to answer. When I gave him an unsure glance, he rolled his eyes, silently urging me further. I pulled the device out of my pocket and almost bursted out laughing when I saw the caller ID.

 _Magnus Bane_

I answered the call. The phone barely touched my ear before a voice shattered my eardrums.

"WE'RE GOING ON A DATE!" Magnus yelled, seemingly at the top of his lungs, and I almost dropped the phone. Okay, I _did_ drop the phone. I scrambled to pick it up, grumbling under my breath about his 'damn volume issues.' When I looked up, I realized that I had another problem on my hands. Alec had clearly heard Magnus' outburst, because his eyes were as wide as saucers. If he hadn't been sure I knew before, he was sure now.

"I love you so much, and yes of course I want to talk about it, but Alec is kind of standing right in front of me at the moment." My words were met with silence. Complete and total silence.

"Wait why is he at our school?" Was the intelligent reply I got after a while of waiting. To be honest, it was a good question. It hadn't occurred to me that Alec wasn't a student until Magnus pointed it out. I tilted my head in question at Alec, but of course, _that_ he couldn't hear. Instead, he continued to stare at me with what looked like slight constipation.

"I should probably ask him that." I muttered, for some reason coming to the logical conclusion that if Alec couldn't hear me, he would magically forget I was talking to his not-before-but-maybe-now boyfriend. Not the case. I realized that a second later, "Again, I love you so much, but can I call you in like a half hour?" I hissed.

"Alright, Darling." He sighed in what I hoped was mock disappointment, "Squeeze some information out of him if you can. Favorite flower, perhaps?" So yes, he was fine. I chuckled, shaking my head.

"I'll try." I assured him with fake seriousness, then ended the call.

"I _knew_ you knew!" Alec exclaimed, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his statement of the obvious. All of his previous nervousness was lost, as if me talking to Magnus had been the cure-all. Maybe him calling hadn't been such a bad thing after all. Then, the nervousness was back, as if me just _thinking_ everything was alright was a trigger, "So what does he think of me?"

"He worships the ground you walk on." I couldn't help the snort that escaped me, and Alec's face lit up, "He has for a while."

"Really?" The Lightwood boy in front of me looked like a kid on Christmas morning. I nodded vigorously, his happiness contagious, and surprisingly, he seemed happy with just that. To be honest, I wanted to grill him about every little thing about his side of the relationship, but considering the fact that he'd just been brave enough to actually say something, I decided to hold off for a bit.

"Alec, I know this is random, but what type of flowers do you like?" Real smooth, Fray. Just slip it in. Totally natural. He gave me a knowing look.

"Tell him to surprise me." He shrugged with a smirk.

 _You had one job, Clary. One job._

"So what were you going on about earlier?" He switched the subject fast enough to give me whiplash, and for a second, I had no idea what he meant. Then, what had happened only minutes before came back. My verbal vomit that could never be taken back. My mouth bobbed open and closed as I searched for a reasonable explanation, but being the brilliant liar I am and all-note the sarcasm-I came up blank, "Does it happen to involve Jace?"

Damn. So maybe the weird looks weren't all my imagination.

I started to say god knows what when I was saved by the bell. Actually, _Isa_ belle.

 _I'm so punny_. I thought to myself, joking despite my situation. Then, I realized that the girl's presence might not stop Alec's questioning-actually, might _further_ it-so I shot him a pleading glance. He narrowed his eyes for a minute, but just before she came to a stop in front of us, he nodded minutely.

"What the _hell_ have you been doing?" She nearly yelled, voice shrill, "I called you five times!" Luckily, I wasn't at the brunt of her anger. Actually, she hadn't even seemed to notice me, so I started to slip away. I would've succeeded if a hand hadn't caught my forearm. My head snapped up to glare at the blonde staring down at me, but all he did was smirk.

"Not so fast, Fray." He shook his head. His sister _still_ hadn't seen me, so I decided to jerk out of his grip and make a break for it. I got two steps before I was pulled back into a hard chest, my arms constricted by those of the boy currently holding me. My struggling brought no results, so I ended up slumping against him in defeat. To my great surprise, he didn't release me. I had a feeling it was because his eyes were glued forward, amusement dancing in them as he watched his brother get a harsh talking-to.

"Would you mind letting me go?" My voice was loud enough to be heard by Jace, but not by his siblings, who were still distracted. He laughed, and I thought it was because Isabelle had just thumped Alec on the back of the head, but when I turned _my_ head to face him, he was looking right at me.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" His eyes glittered mischievously. I found myself swallowing hard, because he was _so close_. If I rose up on my tip toes, I could kiss him. Not that I wanted to. It was just a closeness comparison. Just to say how close he was. Only that. Nothing else. Damn. My train of thought needed to be derailed. I needed to be careful what I wished for, because when Jace leaned _closer_ , all semblance of functioning was lost.

"No." Somehow, the word came out even, and I was proud of myself. That is, until he seemed to take it as a challenge. Then, I was screwed. I couldn't look away from him, because that would be a sign of submission-old habits die hard-so when he turned me his way and set his forehead on mine, there was nothing I could do. Actually, I probably couldn't do anything if I _wanted_ to, but I'd like to think it was by choice.

"Are you sure?" He murmured, and my breath caught in my throat. The look in his eyes told me he was getting a kick out of this, which promptly pulled me from my daze, so I rolled my own, lightly shoving his chest. This time, he let me go with a grin. It was just in time too, because the second I turned around, both of the other siblings looked at us. We were now standing a healthy three feet apart, so suspicion was avoided. At least, Isabelle's was. Alec seemed to look closer, hopefully not at my red cheeks. His slight terror from Isabelle's wrath probably took away a little bit of his attentiveness, so I had a feeling that we were in the green.

"What are you doing here?" Isabelle asked curiously, and Jace chuckled.

"You _just_ saw me?" I asked with a slight smile, and she nodded, unashamed. Luckily, that meant she hadn't witnessed...whatever Jace had just done, so I was pretty alright with it, "I was talking with Alec." Obviously, that was the wrong thing to say, because she narrowed her eyes. It became clear to me in that moment that, yes, we were still in a make out spot, and yes, we were alone, " _Just_ talking." She stared for a long while, then sighed, seeming to take my word.

"Wait hold on." Alec piped up, and I hoped to god that he wouldn't say anything by accident before he was _actually ready_ , "I get a _talking to_ , and she gets a _sigh_?!"

" _She_ wasn't supposed to take us home _half an hour ago_." Isabelle pointed out, and that was how I got my reasoning for Alec being here. So it _wasn't_ just to question me. Despite the result of the length of our conversation, I was a little glad about that. It would be a little creepy if he'd just come for me and no one else. Then again, there _was_ someone else. Speaking of the devil...

" _There_ you are, Darling." I turned to find Magnus striding towards us, and I raised my eyebrows. Of course, he wasn't looking at me, but rather the boy with the blue eyes. I cleared my throat to get his attention to focus on the person he was _actually talking to_ , and it worked. Something in me said that he'd been speaking to Alec, and judging by his red cheeks, said boy knew that too. For the sake of his cover, I smiled, hugging the sparkly boy in front of me.

"You were looking for her?" Alec asked, voice slightly squeaky. I resisted the urge to snort, because _really?_ Could he _be_ more obvious? Then again, I already knew, so I _would_ be more clear to me. Still, the questioning look Isabelle shot him said that he might not be so discreet.

"Of course." He offered his famous catlike grin, "I'm her ride home."

Yeah. Right. And I'm Britney Spears.

I made a noise of affirmation to please the situation though.

"Would you all maybe want to go to Taki's?" The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them, "For a homework session?" All I wanted to do was get Alec and Magnus some time together, and I could tell they knew, because hope registered in their expressions.

"But Alec is driving us?" Jace phrased it as a question, "And I'm not exactly one of your group." He pointed out, and I turned, training a 'shut the hell up' glare on him. He smiled as if getting the message. I thought he would ignore it, honest to god I did, but he huffed, "I guess I can grace you all with my presence for a while." Then, he turned to Alec while I stared at him in shock, "If you're okay with it."

"Yeah. Totally. I'm cool with it. Cool as ice. Wait, ice isn't cool. It's cold. I'm not cold. I'm like a cucumber. Yeah, cool as a cucumber." Alec's cheeks grew red as he finally stopped rambling, partially courtesy of the look I gave him that was identical to the one I'd given Jace seconds prior, "I'm going to the car." He mumbled, and I smirked at the lovestruck grin on Magnus' face that no one else seemed to notice. Isabelle followed shortly after, and Jace and I took up the rear.

I ambled along slower than the rest, but to my surprise, that didn't last for long, because suddenly, Jace's hand was on the small of my back, pushing me faster.

I pointedly ignored my soft, sharp intake of breath.

 **Sooooooooo how did you guys like it? I know Jace switched pretty fast, but that's why I put the week long gap in there, so it wasn't like he started flirting the** _ **second**_ **they made that truce. But who knows. It might be a game. It might be real. It's honestly super fun to tease you guys like this. I remember when I first did that with The Bachelor dream chapter (to be honest, I can't think of the name off the top of my head). But anyways... thank you all. I've been writing for like two hours and will continue with the next chapter right now!**

 **Question of the Chapter: If you have to pick a favorite thing about yourself, what would it be? Mine is my creativity. Think hard. There's always something about you that you know you love!**

 **With so much love to you my Faithfuls,**

 **Shadowhunter5801**


	12. Chapter 11

**GUYS I AM FREAKING OUT! I ACTUALLY AM POSTING** _ **TWO**_ **CHAPTERS IN THE SAME MONTH! Who am I and what have I done to Shadowhunter5801?! Also... I AM CURRENTLY IN HAWAII...And have spent half of my trip so far reading and writing...Whoopsies. But I** _ **did**_ **go to the beach** _ **and**_ **a wedding, so I have somewhat social tendencies. When I want to.** _ **ANYWAYS...**_ **I actually wrote this chapter on the same day I finished the last one. Just thought I'd make you guys wait a bit. I'm so sweet. I know ;) And just FYI, the opening argument of the chapter is one I've actually had with a friend... Let's just say she's proud. So now I'll shut up and let you get on with the chapter ;D**

 **CLARY POV**

* * *

"No, aliens _cannot have normal names!_ " Jace stated, and I huffed out a sigh, crossing my arms.

"Damon is more badass than you'll ever be. Don't insult him." I defended one of my favorite book characters with a playful frown. Jace looked offended, as in actually, genuinely offended. Then, he began to pout like a baby, and I snorted, not backing down. He quickly turned to giving me his infamous puppy dog eyes that had girls falling at his feet, but all I did was stare blandly. His golden irises were growing watery. Still, I wasn't about to fall for it.

"She's right." Isabelle piped up by my side, "He is better than you." I turned to her for a high five, which she gladly gave, and I couldn't help my triumphant smile. When I turned to face Jace again, he was frowning. My grin only widened, which made his expression darken.

Currently, the group-along with Jace and Alec-was at Taki's, and we were all collectively 'doing homework,' or so we told our parents. In reality, we were just hanging out, having random conversations here and there. For the last few minutes, Jace and I had been arguing about the Lux series and whether or not aliens could have _actual human names._ He pleaded the case that they should be named things like Tslingbop and Xandru. I told him that Damon and Dee were perfectly fine. He didn't agree, and so the fight began.

"No one is better than the great Jace Lightwood." He defended weakly, and I couldn't stop my chuckle from escaping. He narrowed his eyes in a challenging way, but all I did was snort, "Do you need proof?" There was an underlying husky note to his tone that only I seemed to catch, possibly because everyone else was distracted by their significant others. Well, for four of them, almost-significant others. So that left Jace and I alone together.

At that thought, Fall Out Boy began to play in my head. I hadn't realized I was humming Alone Together until I noticed Jace's raised eyebrow. There was no stopping the blush that rose to my cheeks and _damn_ why was I blushing? His comment earlier that very day caused my cheeks to redden even more. The devious smirk he wore gave the suggestion that it was what he'd been going for. It widened when he seemed to read my mind.

"Jace, a word." I found myself hissing, and his eyebrow raised higher. For a minute, all he did was sit and watch me, as if assessing what I would do if he said no. My tone left no room for discussion, so finally, he relented, rising from his seat. I did the same, glancing around to make sure that no one was paying attention. Luckily, they were still too wrapped up in each other to care. I marched away without looking back again, because I knew he would follow. And that he did.

When we were a safe distance away, conveniently by the bathrooms, I whipped around to face him. That was when I registered the fact that he was close. _Very_ close. As in, my face almost slammed into his chest close. I craned my neck up to look him in the eyes, which were sparkling with something I knew oh-so-well. The expression that said he loved getting on my nerves. This time, it was in a totally different way though, a way I never thought he'd use on me in this lifetime.

"What's your game?" I repeated my question from before, and he tilted his head as if he was confused. But I knew better. His golden eyes were what always gave away his true intentions. Right now, even _I_ couldn't tell what they were though, and I'd known him practically all my life. He stayed silent, just staring at me with a half-smile on his face. An 'innocent' half-smile. Again, I knew better, because he had something up his sleeve. Instead of speaking, he reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Somehow, I expertly controlled my expression, but internally, I was freaking out. In a feat of amazement, I found the strength within me to step back.

He followed.

"Jace, I know we're friends now, but you're treading on thin ice." I growled, hoping to sound more menacing than I felt. To deal with Jace, I had to be firm. There was no other way to get what I wanted from him.

 _But what_ do _you want?_ My mind decided to pipe up, and I frowned. To my pleasure, Jace probably thought it was aimed his way, but it didn't deter him. Instead, it seemed to egg him on, because he stepped even _closer_. And he matched my steps back until I hit a wall. This seemed suspiciously like what would happen if he wanted to kiss me, but I knew that was wrong. He was just messing with me. His half smile turned into a real one when a blush rose to my cheeks, and the fact that he 'thought' I was cute when I blushed only furthered the reaction.

"Jace..." I trailed off sternly, somehow keeping my composure.

"Shortcake..." He mimicked, using the nickname that had now become casual rather than malicious. His fingers traced my cheekbone, and it took everything in me to not close my eyes. I swallowed hard at the proximity, because even though I didn't _like_ like Jace, I could admit he was attractive. And when an attractive boy does _that_ , any female would be nervous. Because that's what I was. Nervous. Or so I tried to convince myself.

"What are you doing?" I asked, but my voice came out more breathy than intended. His eyes glimmered, then turned to molten gold. My breath caught in my throat when his fingertips moved over my lips, "I'm not sleeping with you." I stated firmly, finding the courage to look him straight in the eyes and be clear. He chuckled, shaking his head. I crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for an explanation. None came, "Jace." I tried to snap him out of his daze, but it was halfhearted.

"Where did you get the idea that I would?" He asked, humor shining in his gaze.

"Ah, right." It dawned on me, "Because you're out of my league." He furrowed his brow as if confused, and I rolled my eyes, waiting for him to confirm the answer I'd come up with.

"No, I'm not." He murmured softly, and that was something I didn't think he wanted me to hear. I narrowed my eyes in question, but he wore a look of mock confusion. Clearly, he hadn't expected me to catch it, but I wasn't in the mood for being shy. I gestured for him to continue, raising my eyebrows in wait. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if assessing my reaction. Despite the fact that I tried to keep it down, my face grew hot, and I swallowed hard.

"What do you mean?" I asked softly, way softer than I wanted to. He smiled, as in an actual, genuine smile, "Please tell me this isn't a dare or a bet." There was a slight begging note to my tone, and he sighed, obviously contemplating what to say, "So it is." I shook my head, looking down at my feet, "Was that all this ever was? A dare?" Self doubt immediately took over me, and to my surprise, I felt a stinging in my eyes. He didn't say a thing. I cursed, wondering how in the hell I actually believed him. Truly and honestly, I'd thought our relationship was good. Obviously, I was wrong. I started to walk away, but he grabbed my arm, halting my escape, "Let me go." My voice was barely audible. To my surprise, he pulled me back.

"It's not." I barely caught his words, and my head snapped up, "But I just love to see you riled up." HIs smile grew softer, and even though he was just messing with me, I let out a breath of relief at the fact that it wasn't someone else's doing. It was honestly a little unhealthy how I was _happy_ with his answer. Then, an idea struck. Retaliation. I brought my hand up, skimming my fingertips over his face like he'd done to me. I didn't miss the way his eyes widened in shock, nor did I miss his hard swallow. That was when I stood on my tiptoes to whisper something as close as possible to his ear.

"Two can play at that game." I smirked when he stiffened, then pulled away. His lips were parted, as if he was about to talk but couldn't find the words. Not even a second passed before I turned on heel, walking back to the table with a wide grin. It felt like a win for me, and the fact that, even when I sat down at our table, Jace didn't follow made it all the more amazing.

I could see why he liked it, because _man_ it was fun.

No, it wasn't because I _like_ liked him.

Not at all.

* * *

 **JACE POV**

 _Holy shit_. I thought to myself as I stood in front of the bathroom like an idiot. She'd done it. She'd _actually_ done it. Clarissa Adele Fray had beaten me at my own game. _Again_ , _Holy shit_. I tried to ignore the way I'd reacted, because the great Jace Lightwood would _never_ let a girl best him. Apparently, I couldn't deny that this time, she had. The thing I _should_ do at the moment was walk back out there with all of my bravado and act like nothing had happened. But I couldn't find the strength because _Clary_ of all people had just _flirted_ with me. Majorly. It was true that I liked getting her worked up. It was _not_ true that I had feelings for her. I didn't _crush_ on girls. They crushed on me. That wouldn't-couldn't-be changed, especially not by the feisty redhead who had just left me hanging.

I briefly entertained the idea of making things how they were before the truce, because I was a jackass like that. The bigger part of me said that I would be losing something amazing if I did. For once, I chose to listen to the rational side. I also wondered if this would become our game. Cuddling purely for a good night's sleep was one thing. Consciously flirting for no particular reason was another. Well, I did have a reason. I _liked_ seeing her get frazzled, and I had to really convince myself that saying she was cute when she blushed was just to get a reaction. Because she wasn't _cute_. Not even a little bit. Not. At. All.

 _Yeah, she is._ My mind decided to pipe up at the worst possible moment, and I rested my forehead against the wall.

"What is going _on_ with me?" I asked no one. What I didn't expect was to get a response.

"What _is_ going on with you?" My head snapped to the speaker, and I found myself looking into a pair of blue eyes. Alec. There was a slight part of me that had seen the looks Alec had given me and Clary lately, but I didn't let myself think about that. Thinking about it would make it an actual possibility, and that would not end well. If he knew, there was no telling what his reaction would be. He'd always treated Clary like a little sister, so I knew that Isabelle wouldn't be the only person we would have to answer to if word got out.

"Nothing." The word came out strong, and my carefree facade was back in place. Alec didn't look convinced. I hoped he was just putting on a poker face to get something out of me. Needless to say, he wouldn't. Not in a million years. I had the strongest feeling that Clary would _not_ be happy if I spilled the truth, so I kept my jaw locked tight.

"Yeah, right." Alec deadpanned, clearly not believing me, "That's why Clary walked out all smug and you're back here hiding."

"I am not _hiding_." The phrase came out more defensive than I would've liked, but I just wanted Alec to be pleased with an answer and leave me be. Instead, he gave me a pointed look, and I huffed out a sigh. So maybe I _was_ hiding a tiny bit. I just didn't want the group to see my total shock, because that would raise questions. Apparently, this already had. Alec raised his eyebrow, waiting for me to blurt out what had happened, but I wasn't an ameture. I was an expert.

"I love how you didn't deny anything else." He snorted, and my eyes widened when he caught my mistake. I shot him a flat look, hoping that he would take it as 'You're an idiot. Nothing happened.' "I am _obviously_ not an idiot seeing as I'm the only one who caught this 'nothing happening.'" I hadn't realized I'd said that aloud. Damn. My bland stare quickly turned to a glare, and I was about to insult Clary to make a point. Then, I thought better of it, because after everything, that would've just been wrong, "You guys have been acting weird lately." I gestured for him to elaborate, and he sighed, "You haven't been trying to murder each other." He clarified, and I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe we've just seen the light." I shrugged like it was no big deal, when in reality, it was huge. Clary and I had been destined to be enemies for all our lives, but all of a sudden, it just disappeared.

"Jace, please tell me you two aren't sleeping together." He growled, and I started choking on my own spit.

"No!" I exclaimed, luckily not loud or panicked enough to seem suspicious. Still, he didn't look convinced. Again, I opened my mouth to make another point, but it snapped shut before I could. And honestly, I didn't want to. I didn't want to hurt her like I used to, because she was _human_ , something I hadn't considered over the years. She could feel pain, just like anyone else, which I'd learned in the span of a week. "We are _not_ sleeping together."

"But you _like_ her, don't you?" Alec's stare turned stern.

"Of course not." I huffed indignantly, "We're friends now. Just friends. Nothing more, nothing less." My brother gave me a look of pure 'I know what you're actually thinking'. But he didn't, because I did _not_ have feelings for Clarissa Adele Fray. Not one bit, "Happy?" This time, it came out a little snappy, but Alec wasn't fazed. Instead, he continued to dig through my soul with his eyes. I could honestly admit that I was a little scared of what he would find. Actually, what he _thought_ he would find, because it wasn't there. No sir.

"Jace." He sighed, shaking his head. Then, his gaze met mine, "It's okay. I won't tell Isabelle." His reassurance took a little weight off my chest, because I would rather not face my sister's wrath. She was honestly terrifying, especially when she threatened to gouge my eyes out with her nails, which was a phrase often used in our 'Clary is off limits' talks. Sadly, I'd been silent for too long, long enough that Alec had taken it as an answer. Which it wasn't.

"Don't look at me like that." I grumbled halfheartedly, "Why would you think something's up with me?"

"Well, for one, you faked sickness to stay home with her." He stated, and my jaw dropped. I opened my mouth to deny it, but he held up a hand, "Two, I've seen the disappearance of insults. Three..." He trailed off, almost like he didn't _want_ to say the next part. But he'd dug his own grave, and I _needed_ to know what that reason. I crossed my arms, my posture communicating that I wouldn't be letting him off the hook anytime soon, "Three, I've seen the way you look at her." It came out soft and fast, and I had a feeling that he didn't want me to actually understand what he was saying. But _oh yes I did_.

"How, exactly, do I look at her?" I asked, and I tried not to admit to myself that I might not want to hear the answer.

"You look at her like you care." Was all the explanation he gave, even after I waited for more.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I flapped my arms in frustration, and then the bastard had the audacity to laugh, "Alec... Have you gone insane?" My tone was wary, because if _anyone_ thought I felt something for Clary-which I didn't-they would chew me out no doubt. So the fact that Alec was smiling gave me comfort. He was definitely messing with me, "Why are you _laughing_!? You just accused me of liking Clary."

"Ah ha!" He almost yelled, and I tilted my head, too curious to tell him to quiet down, "You just called her Clary. Not Shortcake or Redhead or Chili Pepper. Just Clary."

 _Damn. He was right about that one. Stick to the nicknames, Jace. Always stick to the nicknames._

"Sorry, I meant _Shortcake_." My tone dripped with sarcasm, and he snorted. He opened his mouth to say something, but promptly shut it, "What?" I asked. All he did was shake his head, "Alec tell me now or so help me God I will show Magnus your baby pictures." His eyes widened, and I thought maybe, just maybe, the hint that I knew about _his_ feelings would derail this conversation. I honestly expected him to panic, but to my surprise, he didn't.

"Go ahead." He shrugged, and my jaw dropped. Well, there went my out.

" _Then_ , I'll show him the video of you doing 'Watch Me Whip' as you sang it at the top of your lungs." That one got him. I could tell by the way his face turned a stark white, "I would start talking if I were you." He nodded vigorously while coming out of his stupor.

"She's going to kill me." Alec muttered under his breath, then looked back up at me, not quite meeting my eyes. I motioned for him to _actually say it_ , and he grumbled a string of curses, "She looks at you the same way." He whispered after a beat of silence, and my lips parted. I was absolutely speechless, because _Clarissa Adele Fray_ would never 'look' at me like that. I tried-really, _really_ tried to form words. After what seemed like an eternity, I regained my composure.

"I think I would notice if she was staring at me like a lovesick puppy." I pointed out, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. Alec shook his head. Then raised an eyebrow, and I realized that I'd just compared the 'looks' he _thought_ I had been giving Clary to...that. Luckily, he decided to let it slide, and his face returned to how it had been before.

"She's more subtle." His voice was barely there, and if I hadn't been listening so well, I wouldn't have caught it.

"You're seeing things." I shook my head, and he huffed. Then, his eyes turned serious, and I cringed, waiting for the big brother talk, even though it was unnecessary. That was something Alec didn't seem to understand.

"Don't break her heart." Was all he said, then turned and walked back into the main diner without another word. I stared after him, shocked to the core for the second time today. There was no more time to think about it though, because the longer I stayed back here, the more suspicious it would look. But Alec literally just told me that _Clarissa Adele Fray_ had a crush on me. Well, he didn't outright tell me. The thing was, he didn't have to. He made it clear without facing it head on, and that was probably the best route. If he had told me directly, I might've had a heart attack. Not because I had _feelings_ for her, no. It was just because the girl I used to hate-the girl who used to hate _me_ -might actually _like_ like me. If that wasn't culture shock, I had no idea what was.

Finally, I took a deep breath, then reentered the eating area.

But when I sat down and saw Clary's brilliant smile and forest green eyes and fiery red hair, I had the strongest feeling that I was _so screwed._

* * *

 **Oh. My. Gosh. Is Jace really starting to acknowledge** _ **feelings?**_ **As in the emotionally constipated player having** _ **feelings?**_ **(Cue the dramatic gasp) But you know our sweet Jace, and things aren't just that easy, are they? What's Clace without a little pain and suffering. Anyways, the question of the chapter is for all you Sherlock lovers out there (I just got into it. It's amazing. I wholeheartedly recommend it.)**

 **Question of the Chapter: If you are a Sherlock watcher... Do you, or do you not, ship Johnlock? (John/Sherlock) (Whatever ship name you use)**

 **With lot's of love to my faithfuls from the island of Maui,**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	13. Chapter 12

**HELLO MY FAITHFULS. I am soooooo sorry I haven't updated in so long. Life has been** _ **busy**_ **. I actually interned at a creative writing intensive in New Jersey for two weeks, which was awesome but slightly time consuming. I have had literally no time to write since then. And** _ **now**_ **school started up and so** _ **gah**_ **I'm overloaded already. And we haven't even gotten into the hard stuff yet. Damn. But psychology seems like it'll be fun, so that's a plus. Still...So** _ **ignoring**_ **my rant about school... ON WITH THE STORY!**

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. The hand constricting my throat was no longer there, but I could still feel the ghostly squeeze. After a minute, I was able to get my breathing under control, but my heart didn't stop pounding. It had been real, so very real. I could see his eyes as his hand wrapped around my neck, and I could smell the beer on his breath. Tears leaked from my eyes as I tried to suppress the sobs that shook my body, but it wasn't working.

I knew what I needed. I knew _exactly_ what I needed, my only cure. There was no way I could have it, though, because I had no excuse to be in his room anymore. Despite the fact that we could be classified as friends, this was way too far from appropriate. Which was exactly what I'd been trying to tell myself.

For the past month.

Almost every night had been filled with all-too-real bruises and scars that disappeared when I opened my eyes. Sleep was rare and fleeting at this point, and it was getting unhealthy.

Currently, I sat on a stool at the counter in the Institute's kitchen. My eyes were drooping as I clutched my mug of coffee. I had a sense of deja vu while I stared at the oven clock. Luckily, this time, I had faced the nightmares and got a little bit of sleep. Just enough to pass by. I had a feeling it would get worse as time went on, but there was nothing I could do to help it. A sigh escaped my as I dropped my head onto my arms, praying that I would get one good night's sleep in the near future.

The reality was that I wouldn't, not without Jace.

It was honestly pathetic.

That was when I heard the sound of someone treading downstairs, and I knew that I didn't quite want the questions that would be directed my way if someone saw me. I hastily rose to my feet, rushing into the pantry, leaving the door cracked just enough to see out of it. My heart was pounding, and I was almost sure that whoever was there would hear it. I held my breath, waiting to see who it was. When I did, the pounding turned into a dead stop.

It was Jace, looking just as tired as I felt. He rubbed his temples, cursing slightly under his breath, and I just hoped he wouldn't notice me before I made my escape. Then, I saw it. My fresh mug of caffeine was steaming on the counter. He seemed to catch it at the exact same time. I swallowed hard, watching as he spun around, clearly looking for the source. My inhales were growing shaky, and I stepped back to make myself less visible.

Of course, I just _had_ to knock down a candy from the shelf.

He walked my way.

I was panicking, totally internally panicking, especially as he opened the door. Light flooded in, revealing my hiding place. For a moment, he just stared. After a little bit, I began to shift uncomfortably in the silence, wishing I knew what was going on in his head. Finally, he ran a hand through his hair, at least acknowledging my presence.

"What are you doing up?" I broke the quiet, but my voice was high and squeaky. Jace recovered from his moment of shock, and placed his normal smirk on his face. We both knew it was fake, but decided to ignore that particular detail.

"Couldn't sleep." Were the two words he said in his signature ' _Duh_ ' tone. I couldn't help but roll my eyes, putting my own facade in place.

"I can see that, but I was wondering why?" It came out as a question, and he immediately stopped. There was a nervous look on his face, a look that I'd only seen a handful of times in my life. Again, there was no sound, but the tension in the room was almost tangible. We both knew the answer, but neither of us wanted to say it. I could see it in his eyes, and I was sure he saw the same thing in mine.

"Do I need a reason?" He tried for normalcy, raising an eyebrow. I huffed out a sigh, for some reason deflating a little. There was-admittedly-a small part of me that wished he would speak how we both felt. And maybe, just maybe, we could cure each other again. I closed my eyes tightly, the began to push past him. Before I could, he grabbed my waist, halting my escape.

"Yes?" I raised both-dammit-eyebrows in return. Jace opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but no sound came out. He released me, apparently giving up, "I'm going to try to sleep again." I stated as I tried to hide my emotions. He nodded, stepping aside so I could walk back into the kitchen and toward the stairs. Right before I climbed the first one, he grabbed my arm. A mumble rolled off his tongue, and I tilted my head in question.

"I'll..." He trailed off, taking a deep breath, "I'll go with you." I sucked in a sharp gasp, and there was slight vulnerability in his eyes. Honestly, I didn't know how to respond to that. I bit my lip, pondering the aftermath. But I wanted nothing more than a full night's sleep, even if that meant with Jace.

 _You aren't really sad about that._ My mind piped up, and I glared. When Jace stepped back, I realized that he'd thought it was aimed at him. I grabbed his hand before he could get away, then tugged him forward the tiniest bit. A tentative happiness grew in his eyes, and I offered a weak smile. He returned it.

We both ignored the fact that we didn't let go of each other, walking up and to his room. As soon as we stepped inside, a wave of nervousness washed over me. It seemed to take him over too. This time was different, and we both knew it. There were no excuses at this point. We were doing this because we _wanted_ to, not because we were forced to. For a while, all we did was stare at each other, neither of us wanting to make the first move.

Surprisingly, it ended up being me.

I released his hand, walking over to my-oh god, when did it become _my?_ -side of the bed, slipping under the sheets. He mirrored me on his, and suddenly, we were laying down next to each other, but there was a space between us. That space was a line, a line that we both wanted to cross, but didn't have the courage to. I sighed, curling up and closing my eyes. The second I did, images began to flash, and I sat up with a gasp.

"Come here." Jace murmured, lifting his arm. I couldn't help but obey. At first, it was cautious, his embrace loose. But when I wrapped my own around his neck, it all disappeared. I scooted over until we were closer than ever before. I buried my face in his shoulder, and his arms tightened. He stroked my hair in a comforting gesture, and I began to fall into oblivion.

"Sweet dreams." I whispered.

"Sweet dreams." He replied, and I swear I felt a kissed dropped on the top of my head.

But it was obviously my imagination.

* * *

 **Jace POV**

"I'll...I'll go with you." The second the words left my mouth, I internally cringed. What the hell was I doing? All I'd come down for was a mug of coffee to get me through the day, but now, everything changed. I had answered the question that was already in the air, and I didn't know whether or not a regretted it. On one hand, I would get a good night's sleep for the first time in a month. On the other hand, it would be _Clary_ in my bed, which was awkward for both of us.

 _Yeah, right. Awkward._ My mind's sarcasm was not appreciated. She sucked in a sharp breath. After a beat of nothing, she glared at me, and I cursed myself for even _thinking_ the offer, much less _giving_ it to her. How stupid could I _possibly_ be? Am I really that much of an idiot?

Answer: Yes.

And I was seriously regretting it.

That is, until she grabbed my hand. She pulled me forward gently, and I couldn't help the little bubble of happiness that rose up in me. At first, I didn't think it was noticeable, but when Clary smiled softly at me, I knew I was being more obvious than I'd thought. Nevertheless, I returned it.

Neither of us commented on the fact that our hands were still linked, but it was clearly in both of our minds. At least, I assumed so for her. It was definitely that way for me, because it seemed to be all I could focus on. I mentally kicked myself, trying to get back to reality. Why would I even be affected by that anyways? It wasn't like I-

I stopped that train of thought before it could get out of control.

Still, I couldn't escape the nervousness that suddenly took over my being. I knew it was because this time held so much more weight than the others. With no demon baby to use as an excuse, we were doing this because we wanted- _needed-_ to. I felt a little pathetic at that point, because I was _Jace Lightwood_ , and Jace LIghtwood didn't need to _cuddle_ to fall asleep. It just couldn't be true. I briefly contemplated changing my mind, but I had to get over my pride, because it was the only way I would be able to get some rest.

Clary and I stared at each other, obviously having the same thoughts. We didn't want to move, because that would solidify everything. It would be the final seal before we broke into new territory. Just even _considering_ it was beyond our comprehension, so actually _doing_ it was a whole different story.

I was shocked when Clary ended up pushing us over the edge.

She unlaced our fingers, padding over to her-oh god, when did it become _her_?-side of the bed, and she peeled the sheets back, slipping in between them. Slight tremors were taking over her, and I questioned if she even noticed, because she didn't comment on it or try to justify it in any way. I followed suit, getting under the covers.

We both eyed the space between us, because we knew that was another barrier that we were about to risk breaking. I watched Clary, vowing to let her make the decision. After all, it hadn't been _her_ idea to do this, so I wouldn't blame her if she wanted to stick to her area. That seemed to be her decision, and I pointedly ignored the slight deflating inside me. She laid her head down on the pillow, her eyes fluttering shut.

It wasn't even thirty seconds before she shot up to a sitting position, sucking in a sharp breath. That was the final straw for me, because what we both needed was blatantly obvious. So I took the initiative on that one.

"Come here." I whispered, hoping my tone was as gentle as intended, and lifted my arm. After a brief hesitation, she scooted towards me until I could gather her loosely in my arms. She ended up wrapping her own around my neck, then moving closer than we'd ever been before. She nuzzled my shoulder, and I couldn't help but tighten my embrace. I ran my fingers repeatedly through her hair, hoping it would help her fall asleep faster.

"Sweet dreams." She murmured softly.

"Sweet dreams." I parroted, and then she seemed to be gone. I must've been possessed by some demon, because before I could stop myself, I pressed my lips to the top of her head. The second after I did it, my heart stopped, because _what the hell was I thinking?_ I prayed with all my being that she had already given into her exhaustion _before_ I'd done the idiotic thing. When she didn't respond in any way, I rationalized that she'd probably left to dream land already.

With a deep sigh, I let my eyes shut, and the last thing I remembered was the smell of apples.

* * *

I woke up to the glorious sound of someone pounding on my bedroom door. My first instinct was to ignore it and go back to sleep, and I decided to do just that.

"Jace I am coming in whether you like it or not." Was my only warning. I yanked the covers up to cover Clary's head, much like I'd done with Mom. Luckily, she and Dad were out of town at the moment, so we weren't risking severe punishment there. Then again, my mother didn't seem to mind, because we had a valid reason. I had a feeling she would've done whatever it took to stop Clary's nightmares though.

The door was flung open with way more force than necessary, and Alec barged in, eyes blazing. I shrunk back a little under his glare and flinched when the door slammed shut in his wake. His jaw and fists were clenched, telling me all I needed to know. Alec was pissed. Extremely pissed. _Past_ pissed. The only thing was, I had no idea why.

"What did you say to her?" He growled. I tilted my head in confusion, " _Clary_." Alec stressed her name, as if that cleared anything up. My confusion must have been evident, because he huffed out a sigh, "She's gone without a trace. Isabelle is fast asleep, and I sure as hell didn't do anything, so it had to be you." His hiss was deadly, making me swallow hard. I couldn't think under the pressure, but he took that as a sign of guilt, "Godammit Jace! I can't believe-"

"I didn't say anything." I cut him off, finally processing his words, "Why do you automatically assume it was _me?_ Maybe she left because she wanted to." The decision to _not_ tell him that she was currently snuggled into my side seemed to be the right one. For both Clary's and my sake. If Alec knew what we were doing for sure, we would be in _loads_ of trouble.

"Why would she _want_ to?" His voice was getting a slight bit louder and a slight bit more frantic. I opened my mouth to reply, but of course Clary just _had_ to buried her face deeper into my shoulder, her lips brushing my bare skin. My breath caught in my throat and _god_ I was acting like a thirteen year old girl with a-

Nope. Not going there.

"Please tell me that's not Seelie in bed with you." Apparently, her movement hadn't gone unnoticed, and I gulped, wondering how the hell I would get out of this. Get _us_ out of this.

"No?" I tried to make it sound like a guilty question. It must've worked, because he huffed, clearly agitated, "Can you maybe come back another time?" A weak attempt, I knew, but it was all I had.

"Don't even try..." Alec trailed off before his inevitable rant started, and I stared at him in question, but didn't say anything. I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. For a moment, it was silent, "Are you _cuddling_ her?" He asked incredulously. I gave him a look that spoke volumes of _'No, you idiot'_ , but it didn't seem to work. That was when I realized he could just barely see her arms around my neck, so all protests were rendered useless.

"No?" This time, I didn't mean for it to come out like the last, but it did anyways. Alec's eyes widened, and I didn't know whether to thank or curse the change of topic. His jaw slowly dropped, and I winced. If he was acting like this when he thought it was _Seelie_ , there was absolutely no way I could avoid punishment if he found out it was _Clary_. I silently vowed to do everything in my power to keep that from happening. Apparently, fate was against me, because I felt Clary begin to stir awake.

"Ssshhhh" She tried to shush both me and Alec, "Shut up and go back to sleep." Luckily, her voice was sleep ridden enough to be unrecognizable. For a second, we were both silent, but I opened my mouth to speak. She must've been psychic, because she cut me off before any sound could escape me, "No talking, more sleep."

"For your information, we are having an actual, important conversation, Clarissa." For about ten seconds, I didn't realize my mistake. To be honest, it took Alec's jaw dropping for it to happen. His shock ebbed away after a minute, and left in its place was pure fury.

"Jonathan Christopher Lightwood." He growled, and his voice had never been that scary in my life, "Pull down those covers. Now." The last word was a barked command, and it scared me enough that I did what he said instinctively. Alec was surprisingly terrifying when he was mad, one of the traits he shared with our sister. It didn't happen often, but when you were on the receiving end of it...momentary death was imminent. The only blessing we had was that he could see, yes, we both had clothes on.

Clary slurred out a few profanities, grabbing the blankets and trying to yank them back up. When I held them firm, she cracked open an emerald eye to glare at me. There must've been an odd look on my face, because she narrowed her eyes, appearing slightly concerned.

"We have a visitor." It came out hoarse, but she heard it all the same, and her head snapped Alec's direction. When she saw him, she sucked in a squeaky breath, which did nothing to help the situation. I noticed in right then that our arms were still wrapped around each other. I cleared my throat, hoping she would get the message, but she seemed stuck on the fact that Alec was _actually standing there._ Despite my urge to, I couldn't blame her, because this was bad news.

"We have an explanation." She finally managed to speak, hastily letting me go. I did the same to her, and we both sat up.

"It'd better be a damn good one." Alec ground out. Clary and I turned to each other, silently debating who would tell the story. After a brief stare down, she groaned, then faced Alec again.

"It all started with the doll of doom..."

* * *

 **The secret has been** _ **exposed**_ **. (Cue dramatic gasp) And** _ **Alec**_ **of all people...This should turn out...interesting ;) Oh! I have to ask...Do any of you guys ship HPDM? (Yes, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy) (cue yet another dramatic gasp). I just discovered it a little while ago, and now I am** _ **OBSESSED**_ **. Majorly. I mean, when you read it, it** _ **actually**_ **works. Like really well. Anyways...Following the dreaded back to school theme...**

 **Question of the Chapter: What is the absolute funniest story you have that occurred in school? It doesn't matter what grade, or even college. Anything.**

 **Mine is probably the fact that, when I was a sophomore in high school, my beloved AP Spanish teacher (No but seriously, she's awesome) told me that I needed to 'get a life'. I kid you not, those exact words. My** _ **teacher**_ **. As you can tell, that was a very mature class. Obviously, I'm being sarcastic, because let me say that after we finished the AP test and had nothing to do, we played an Ultimate Frisbee tournament against the AP French class. It was intense, but WE WON HALLELUJAH.**

 **Enough about me...**

 **Don't ever forget how awesome you are, my faithfuls.**

 **With loads of love...**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	14. Chapter 13

**What is up my faithfuls? I'm so sorry I haven't posted in so long. My grandpa recently passed, and things have been so busy. But this makes me so happy, as do seeing your comments and writing in general. It's gotten me through a lot, and I want to thank all of you for being awesome. I just have to impart a little wisdom and say...Don't ever take the time you have with the people you love for granted. You never know what's going to happen at any given moment, so cherish them while you can. Now with that... ON WITH THE STORY**

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

It was a Tuesday when I finally admitted it to myself. To be honest, it wasn't as world-changing as it would've been in the past. True, it had been building up for some time, so my subconscious must've gotten used to it. The sad thing was, I was more surprised by the fact that I'd forgotten to replenish my hot chocolate stash, which was saying something. Coincidentally, the moment I noticed the empty box was when I blurted it out without thinking to an empty room.

 _I like Jace_.

The three words that should've turned me inside out and upside down had only made me shrug. I hadn't even flinched before I turning back to shuffling through the pantry in hopes that a packet had fallen somewhere unseen. So all in all, if I had taken it in stride, the universe should have too.

That didn't happen.

But this time, I wasn't complaining, because apparently my words must've had some voodoo quality to them. It _had_ to have been magic. Otherwise, my past week would've been _normal_ , but _no_. Instead, it was filled with the tiniest things that threw my life way off kilter. Even more than my revelation. Well, it wasn't exactly a revelation, but still.

Or maybe Jace just had microphones hidden in my apartment, which was a possibility I briefly pondered. And that consideration was _warranted_ , because if not that, then I must've somehow become fate's favorite person. Then again, all things considered, I could've been the opposite. If I knew what Jace was _thinking_ , I would've been able to decide. As it was now, I chose wisely not to question it. That was becoming harder and harder though.

Flirting was to the max.

They were small signs, a brush of fingertips here, a hand on my back there.

It was driving me absolutely _insane_.

* * *

I muttered curses to myself as I practically stormed up the stairs of my apartment building. Not only did Simon bail on our Marvel marathon, but I found out he did so through his _mother_. And that was _after_ I stood on his doorstep knocking for a good two minutes straight. And he didn't even have the decency to answer when I called. Granted, he must've been scared of my wrath, so I couldn't _overly_ blame him. My personality lived up to my fiery hair when I was on a rampage.

A text dinged on my phone, just as I reached the door.

 _Simon Lewis:_

 _At your apartment_.

I hissed a string of words that would give a nun a heart attack, throwing the door open with way more force than necessary. Walking through New York City at night wasn't too comforting, despite living here for my entire life, and it being 10 o'clock qualified as that. Of course he was at my apartment, because it was totally logical I had to do all of that only to find I could've waited at home.

 _It was probably a misunderstanding_. I told myself as I took a deep breath in the foyer. That thought was promptly revoked when I walked into the living room. My friends-minus Isabelle-were sitting there, the furniture arranged in a semi-circle with a chair facing the group. At first, there was confusion. Then, my eyes landed on a single face that wouldn't normally be there.

"Dammit, Alec." I growled, the pieces falling into place, "Do you _not_ know how to keep a secret?" The words were getting more shrill as they went on, but there was no fear in anyone's eyes. The same determination was on all of their faces, and I knew I wasn't getting out of it. No one spoke, but Simon rose to his feet. The glare I gave him made him sit down pretty fast.

"Clary, please, sit down." Jordan's voice was more commanding than suggesting, and if _Jordan_ sounded like that, I wouldn't be getting out of it anytime soon. I groaned, plopping down in the singled out seat with a huff. For a while, there was silence. It was honestly starting to freak me out, because it felt like they were digging into my soul with their eyes. Finally, I couldn't take it.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" I asked firmly, but no one responded, all of them sharing glances as if no one wanted to speak first, "This feels like some sort of intervention." Everything honestly reminded me of that guilty pleasure television show, which did not bode well for me. There was only one thing they would want to talk to me about. All because Alec couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"That's because it _is_ an intervention." Simon finally spoke up, a constipated look on his face. I made a noise of exasperation, honestly contemplating just getting up and leaving. Then again, Jordan and Magnus-who was _much_ stronger than his appearance suggested-would force me back.

"Well why?" It was common courtesy to ask, even if nothing about this was minutely courteous on their part. I expected them to start answering my question, but instead, they reached for something at their sides. When I figured out what they were doing I stopped them, "No." I refused stubbornly, "There's crossing a line, and then there's _crossing a line_. So there will be no reading of _letters_." The tone of my voice left no room for rebuttal.

"I think you know a lot about _crossing a line_ as of late." Maia pointed out, and there were various noises of agreement. Still, they put down the papers, reverting back to digging into my deepest thoughts with their gazes. I gestured for them to go on and get this thing over with. Again, no one wanted to speak. My eyes scanned the people in front of me as I debated who to put on the spot. It turne dout that I didn't get that decision.

"Are you and Blondie sleeping together?" Jordan asked, and I sighed.

"We aren't _'sleeping together'_ " I defended immediately, "It's just..." Saying the word aloud would be more awkward than ever imagined, especially in front of a group of people. Then again, Alec had already filled them in, so it really couldn't get worse, "...cuddling." I finished, but to my shock, there were sounds of surprise, and my friends' jaws dropped. My gaze snapped to Alec, who was wearing a self-righteous smirk that he _had_ to have picked up from his brother, "You didn't tell them?" I squeaked.

"I figured it would be better coming from you." Alec shrugged as if it was no big deal, and I clenched my jaw.

"What _did_ you tell them?" I questioned sharply.

"I just told him that there's something going on with you and Jace." His smirk became more defined, and I honestly wanted to punch him in the face. His expression fell slightly at my scathing glare, which brought up the tiniest bubble of pride, but that pride was quickly squashed into oblivion, "It's for your own good." I frowned deeply, then turned away from him and to the rest of the group, who were still speechless.

"You and Blondie _cuddled_?" Simon asked, slight disgust leaking into his tone. I pinched the bridge of my nose, wanting nothing more than to take back those fateful words. That wasn't going to happen, though, so I just had to face the music. I couldn't form the right words, so I nodded.

"How long ago was this cuddling night?" Jordan asked, voice still filled with shock. I contemplated my options. Option A: Tell them the truth and that we'd been snuggling every night we could. Option B: Lie my ass of and act like it only happened once. Clearly, I was about to go for Option B, but that chance was stolen pretty fast. As soon as Alec opened his mouth, I knew things were about to go downhill.

"Almost every night for the past while." He blurted out before I could defend myself. Then, he turned toward me, "Admit it, you weren't about to tell them." I started a denial, but cut myself of, because it was useless. It was obvious that they would take Alec's word over mine at the moment, so I was stuck. Everyone looked dumbstruck yet again, and had it been a different situation, I would've laughed. But right now, there would be none of that.

"Clary..." Simon spoke up, and my head snapped his way, "You know this is a bad idea, right?" He was right. I could admit that much, especially with the feelings that were growing every day. Soon, the late night comfort would end, and we would go back to being just friends.

 _It's not like you were ever anything more._ My thoughts pointed out, and I sighed.

"It's been fine so far." Despite the fact that I agreed, I protested weakly, trying to climb out of the hole I'd dug myself into. It wasn't working in the slightest. Everyone trained knowing looks on me, and I closed my eyes tightly, hoping this whole thing would disappear when I opened them. They were planting well-placed doubt in me, doubt that I hadn't wanted to acknowledge before. It meant nothing to Jace. It was all just a necessity.

"Clary, Jace isn't the type to settle down." Magnus spoke for the first time, worry evident in his smooth words. I pressed my lips into a tight line, simply nodding. Of course they'd figured out how I felt. I was stupid to think I could hide it in the first place. All I hoped for was that they only noticed because they were my best friends, that I hadn't been so glaringly obvious, "I know what you're thinking, Clarissa. You've been subtle. _He_ doesn't even know." That gave me a little reassurance, but not much.

"I know." I finally murmured, suddenly very interested in my hands, which were clasped tightly in my lap, "I just can't seem to stop. He's like a drug. Everytime I try to leave, I just end up falling back. He cures the nightmares, even when I can't stop them myself." I realized a second too late what I'd admitted to, and concern crept into their eyes, "Yes, they came back." Everyone shared a look that I couldn't decipher. I decided to keep going anyways, "And I really do care about him. More than I should. But I don't think an intervention will make that go away.

"You really care about him _that much_?" Simon asked meaningfully. I nodded, not able to put it into words. Several sighs sounded around me, "Are you _sure_?" His tone was resigned, like he already knew the answer. I nodded again, giving it to him anyways. Another expression bled into the faces of my friends. Silence.

"Then we're here to help." Alec finally broke the quiet, and I had a feeling my eyes were bugging out of my head. I made a noise of pure shock, communicating my confusion.

"I thought..." I trailed off, trying to compose myself, "I thought the intervention was to _stop_ me from doing this.

"That was our initial intention." Jordan piped up, "But we agreed that, if you really do have deep feelings for him..." He exhaled deeply, "We'd do everything in our power to help it along." There was a pause.

"We actually assumed that, knowing how stubborn you are." Magnus laughed lightly, and the air about the room suddenly changed, giving me whiplash. A tentative hope rose in me, "We're your best friends. We're here to support you, no matter what. We just want you to be careful. I was about to reply, but there was a knock at the door, cutting me off. I motioned for them to wait, and I knew that it was Isabelle, who _definitely_ didn't need to hear any of this. Panic spread across the room like electricity. I truly thought about ignoring it, but the knocking grew more persistent.

I got up, walking to the door as slow as humanly possible, dragging out my doom. When it grew to a pound, I quickened my pace. I pulled open the door slightly, hoping to hide the people in my living room from view. As soon as I processed the fact that the person standing in front of me was _not_ Isabelle, my jaw dropped.

"Hey, Shortcake." Jace smiled, as in a real, actual smile. Of course he had to visit for the first time _right now_ , because the universe was just that kind. Note the sarcasm. I slipped out of the apartment and into the hall, closing the door softly behind me.

"Hey, Jace." I forced a grin, trying not to give into the freak-out going on in my head, "What brings you to my humble abode?" Instead of answering, he held up a box. My breath caught in my throat when I saw that it was the entirety of _Sherlock_ on DVD, "I thought you hated Sherlock." I tilted my head in question, my heart beating faster.

"To be honest, I've never watched it." For some reason, he sounded unsure. It was frankly adorable. I opened my mouth to invite him in, but was quickly reminded of the people currently gathered in my apartment. Now that I knew they would try and help, there was no telling what they would do. I swallowed hard, wishing that I didn't have to turn him away.

He must have seen the look on my face, because his smile faded and a wall that hadn't been there began to build up in his irises.

"Sorry, it was a stupid idea." Jace shook his head, trying to hide his disappointment, but I could see it clear as day, "See you 'round." He turned to leave, and I knew what I had to do-what I _wanted_ to do.

"Wait." I grabbed his wrist, and he faced me again with a raised eyebrow, "It's just..." I took a deep breath, "My entire friend group is in there, and they're having an intervention about..." Confusion took over his features, and I wondered why I had blurted out the last part. There was honesty, and there was _honesty_. Regrettably, I picked the second, "Things." I answered his silent question, and he snorted, but again, I knew it was fake. It hurt me, because it seemed like he really _wanted_ to be here.

 _Screw it_.

"Screw what?" Jace questioned, hurt flashing on his expression as he obviously thought I was talking about him coming over. I mentally cursed myself for saying it out loud by accident. Still, I chose to roll with it.

"Not you." I assured him when I regained my bearings, "The group." I thought it would clear things up, but realized that he had no idea what I was talking about, "Just... come in." Now, my smile wasn't forced. He cautiously let the wall down again, but didn't make a move to enter. It was my turn to roll my eyes, "C'mon." I opened the door without another word. Then, he stepped inside. All eyes immediately snapped to us, knowing looks on the group's faces.

 _Oh dear lord help me._

* * *

 _30 Minutes Earlier_

 **JACE POV**

 _She's just a friend_. I told myself as I scanned the DVD's on her shelf. Yes, I went into her room, but _technically_ , it was a guest room in the Institute. _Yeah, that's great logic_. Inner me sassed, and if it was a separate person, I knew it would roll its eyes. I shook the thought out of my head, trying to stop myself from backing out. _Friends spend time with friends._ I tried to rationalize. _But do friends cuddle almost every night?_

"Shut up." I said aloud, hoping to keep myself under control. My fingers skimmed the box sets, finally coming to a stop at her favorite show. Sherlock. Despite the fact that I teased her relentlessly about being a nerd, I'd never _actually_ seen the program. Yes, I said I hated it, but only because it got on her nerves, and she was cute when she was frazzled.

 _Really? Cute?_

I pointedly ignored my silent mistake, grabbing the series and rushing out of the room. What I didn't expect was to run right into Isabelle. Immediately, I hid the discs behind my back. She trained a confused gaze on me, and I tried to find the words to explain. When I couldn't, I settled on smiling. It must've been awkward and suspicious, because she narrowed her eyes.

"Where are you off to?" She asked, tone full of suspicion. If she found out, I would be six feet under in a second. Knowing Isabelle Lightwood, she would jump to the conclusion of a romantic relationship, but it wasn't that. Not even close. Not. At. All. At the moment, my denial seemed to be stronger than my processing and acknowledging skills.

"Just out." I shrugged nonchalantly, "To Seelie's." I added before Izzy could open her mouth. Her eyes narrowed, as if she was digging through my soul. Luckily, I repressed a hard swallow, because she would pick it up in a second. She had the scrutiny of a hawk, and sometime, she even knew me better than myself. I stared evenly into her eyes, hoping my carefree expression would hold long enough to avoid giving myself away.

"Okay..." She drew out the word tentatively, "I'm trusting you, Jace." i knew she was trying to guilt me into saying something, and it almost worked. It was hard to keep my composure, so very hard. I managed an eye roll, then stepped past her, barely remembering to keep the DVD set out of sight. For a minute longer, she stared at me, then sighed in resignation, "Have fun." Slight disgust leaked into her voice, because she assumed she knew what would go on if I was with Seelie. I used that to my advantage.

"Bye, Iz." I reached a hand up to ruffle her hair, but she slapped it away before I could, frowning as she fell for my distraction. Trying not to push my luck, I rushed away and out the door. When I made it to the sidewalk, I let out a breath of relief. Then, nerves began to take over, and I looked down, clenching my fists...

Only to find that I was in pajamas.

I cursed under my breath, but I knew that going back inside and making an effort would further my sister's suspicion. Clary wouldn't care. But I was worried about something more serious. Would she take it as something suggestive? Would she have expectations because of it? I dismissed the questions, knowing they would only make me second guess myself. With that thought in mind, I hailed a cab. Like magic, one appeared just in time.

I made sure I had my money in my pocket, slightly wanting an excuse to refrain from going. But I couldn't. Not now. Not before I lost my courage. So i opened the door to the taxi, slipping in and giving the driver Clary's address.

Then commenced the longest ten minutes of my life.

After what seemed like an eternity, the car pulled up to the curb. I muttered a quick "Thank you" to the driver, handing the money over and getting out onto the sidewalk. For some reason, I stood in front of the main door, fists clenched with nerves. I shouldn't be so worked up about this. It was just a marathon with a friend. Simon did it all the time, so I could too. Those thoughts were my mantra as I stepped inside.

As fate would have it, the doorman was asleep at his desk, so I climbed the stairs without detection. When I reached Clary's door, I froze. My fist was halfway raised, but it couldn't move from there. I briefly contemplated going home, but I'd already gotten this far, so I might as well go through with it.

 _Just a friend._ I repeated over and over again, _Just a friend._

Then, I knocked.

* * *

 **So...Jace is obviously in denial. Like to the max. I mean, seriously dude? "Just friends"? Yeah... I don't think so. And I have wanted to write the intervention scene for** _ **SO LONG**_ **. Alec's lack of keeping a secret makes me happy :D I know, I'm twisted, but seriously, it was so fun. Now I have a VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER, SO PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU, TAKE THE TIME TO ANSWER.**

 **HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH LOSS?**

 **With so much love to my faithfuls,**

 **Shadowhunter5801**


	15. Chapter 14

**HELLO MY FAITHFULS! OKAY SO I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS CHAPTER FOR SO LONG. Not long as in sit-down-at-the-computer-for-two-hours-all-at-once long (like it should've been). It was more like I'll-work-on-this-in-the-two-minutes-I-have-free-who-knows-how-many-times long (like it shouldn't have been). To be honest, I completely flip-switched my entire plot with the last chapter, because I didn't realize what I was doing until I'd done it :D ANYWAYS HERE YA GO!**

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

The group stared at us. We stared at them. It was terribly, horribly, tremendously-and every similar adjective I couldn't think of at the moment- _awkward_. They were giving Jace the same, soul searching look they'd given me. Even "the great" _Jonathan Christopher Lightwood_ was beginning to shift under their gazes. What made it even _worse_ was that no one was saying a word. About ten seconds later, I realized that, yes, I was capable of speech.

"So, this is Jace." My mouth decided to so intelligently form, and I cursed myself silently. I probably couldn't have come up with something worse if I tried, but it had the unintentional effect of the group shifting their eyes to me. All of them held the _'Could you_ possibly _be more of an idiot?'_ message, but at least their attention was off of Jace. When I turned to face said boy, I was mortified to find his eyebrow raised and amusement dancing in his irises.

"I think they know my name, Shortcake." Jace must've been a wizard, because his words cleared the air like magic. I huffed, crossing my arms and mumbling something unintelligible. A snort came from the group, and I whipped around to train a deathly cold glare on Alec. He shrunk back, but that was when I realized that he was the odd one out, considering the fact that he wasn't exactly a part of the group. And _of course_ I'd chosen to tell Jace that they were having an intervention about 'Things'. It wouldn't take a genius to figure it out from there.

I prayed to everything holy that Jace wouldn't put the pieces together, but when I turned to find a constipated look on his face, I realized I was out of luck. I buried my face in my hands, wondering if there was any _possible_ way this could go even farther downhill.

I didn't mean for the universe to take it as a _challenge_.

"Clary? I thought you were going to be at..." Luke trailed off, but I had no idea why. That is, until I realized that he was staring at Jace, "Clarissa," I immediately stiffened, because he _never_ used my full name unless he meant business, "Would you mind telling me why Jace is here in _pajamas_?" For a second, I stared at Luke like he was crazy, because Jace wasn't in-

 _Well,_ I thought when my eyes flicked toward Jace to find that he was, in fact, in pajamas, _I'm screwed._ That thought was furthered when Jace adopted the 'deer in a headlight' expression, which didn't exactly help us look less incriminating. For around two seconds, I internally freaked out. _You can do this, Clary._ I mentally tried to encourage myself. It wasn't working.

"We're having a movie night." By the grace of the gods, Magnus spoke up, and Luke looked _past_ me and Jace to find that, yes, there were other people in the apartment. He immediately relaxed, but it wasn't quite all the way. Even as a smile grew on his face while he greeted the group, he kept glancing back at Jace. I couldn't exactly blame him because he was still under the impression that Jace was my arch nemesis. At least, he was up until he walked through the door.

"So what are you guys watching?" Luke asked when he was finished saying his 'Hello's.

"Sherlock." Jace said, holding up the DVD set and looking admittedly less terrified. The group made various noises of agreement, and I was _so happy_ about the fact that they didn't show the surprise that they were no doubt feeling. I mean, Jace had said many a time how nerdy the show was, and that he would never be caught watching it in a million years, so they _must_ have been at least a little shocked.

Luke still looked wary when he focused on Jace again, but there was a little less worry in his gaze. That led me to the conclusion that we were in the green, and that things were _finally_ getting a bit better. Apparently, the universe didn't like that conclusion.

"Clary," My father turned to me, and I mentally cursed fate, "Can I... talk to you for a minute?" I nodded slowly, and he gestured for me to follow him. For some reason, my feet stayed rooted to the floor. It was probably the sheer dread that yanked my gut to the ground, "Clary." His voice was a slight bit firmer, and that spurred me into action. I would rather him _not_ ask the questions that were no doubt to come _directly in front_ of the obvious subject.

Jace, if that wasn't clear.

I resisted the urge to groan as I trudged after Luke. He stopped as soon as we turned the corner into the hall. Luckily, his expression wasn't accusatory, but there was a _lot_ of curiosity in it. For a moment, there was complete silence. He knew I would start talking, but I was determined to stick it out until he said something. Needless to say, I failed.

"We're just friends." Was the first thing I blurted out. I guess it was the right thing to say, because the tension in Luke's shoulders loosened, "We _finally_ realized our rivalry was pointless." The intended goal was to give the most vague answer possible that would be enough for him, and for just one second, I thought I was in the green. Again, the universe didn't want that in the slightest.

"And how did you come to this realization?" Luke took pity on me and raised two eyebrows instead of one, but that did nothing to stop the total giveaway of a blush that rushed to my cheeks. His eyebrows climbed higher as it was clearly noticed. I tried not to cringe, I _really_ did, but just like the blood that rushed to my face, I couldn't exactly stop it. "Were you at least safe?" Was his next question, and my jaw dropped.

"No!" I immediately squeaked, and Luke narrowed his eyes. It was then that I processed the _actual_ purpose of my answer versus what it sounded like, "I didn't mean no to being safe!" The pitch of my voice climbed higher as I _still_ didn't clear up the miscommunication, "I meant, no to...we didn't...there was no..." I couldn't force out the word, because it was _Luke_ for god's sake. As in my _dad_. He held up a hand to stop my stammering.

"Okay, okay." My shoulders sagged in relief when he understood what I meant, but I didn't like the way he was smirking, "But if you ever _do_ -"

"Stop." I cut him off, shaking my head vigorously, "We do _not_ need to have this talk because it is _never_ going to happen." _And also my friends are most likely eavesdropping and I would rather them_ not _hear what was about to come out of your mouth._ The second part was in my head, but I hoped it was conveyed through my eyes. He laughed, then ruffled my hair, and I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding.

"Go have fun with your friends." He winked. Then, he walked down the hall and into his room, but not before shouting, "But not too much fun!" I groaned, burying my face in my hands and blindly hoping that my friends-namely Jace- _hadn't_ heard the little quip, but judging by the chorus of laughter coming from around the corner, I was out of luck.

 _At least Mom is out of town_. I winced immediately after the thought, half waiting for her to announce her presence, but to my great pleasure, it didn't happen. Still, walking out and seeing everyone _without_ my face turning fire engine red was impossible. I composed myself as much as I could, then walked back around the corner. Just as expected, I almost slammed into Maia before I took two steps.

All of them had been hidden just barely out of sight, and all of them looked like they wanted to make a joke. The glare I swept across them did nothing to change that. Even _Jace_ looked mildly entertained, though to a lesser degree than the rest of them. I had a feeling that, behind all his bravado, Jace was the tiniest bit embarrassed too. There was absolutely no way in the world he would show it, though. No matter how much I wished for it to happen. At least then, _some_ of the attention would be off of me.

I held my head high, walking past them without a word. They followed, clearly making a last ditch effort to contain themselves. That didn't last long.

"So we have to be safe now, Shortcake?" Surprisingly, it was Jace who started it, and the entire group cracked. They laughed so hard that I had a feeling they were crying, and I rolled my eyes, trying to keep up a facade of nonchalance. However, Golden Boy _had_ forgotten about the intervention, so in a way, it was worth it. But not by much.

"Oh shut up." I muttered, plopping down on the couch and staring determinedly at the blank television screen.

"You might want to turn it on, Clare Bear." I didn't even have to look to know Simon was smiling like a maniac. All that did was make me huff and cross my arms as I decided to give them the silent treatment. Someone sat next to me, and the distinct smell of mangos reached my nose. Surprisingly, I was able to resist the urge to look at him. Everyone else settled in various places, and Jordan pushed in the first DVD, grabbing the remote and starting the show.

* * *

 **JACE POV**

By the time the second episode finished, I was hooked. However, the others-who had no doubt watched it a million times-were fast asleep. I hadn't even noticed the fact that Clary was curled into my side. At some point, my arm must've dropped from the back of the couch to across her shoulders, and it shocked me that no one had made a comment. Then again, they were all probably too focused on the television until they dozed off.

"Hello, Jace." The voice to my right startled me, and my head snapped toward the sound. To my terror, Luke was standing by the couch, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. The fact that I was holding Clary became glaringly obvious, so I tried to scoot away. Sadly, _her_ arms had somehow found their way around my torso, and she made a groggy sound of protest, hugging me tighter.

I was _never_ one to blush, but the father of the girl who was currently snuggled into me was literally _right there._ No sensible human could avoid embarrassment. I didn't notice my mouth was open until I snapped it shut, and fear was overtaking my entire being. I had heard what he had put Sebastian Verlac through when Clary first introduced him as her boyfriend, so my reaction was warranted.

 _You're_ not _her boyfriend._ I reminded myself, but the way that Luke was looking at me suggested that it didn't matter. The thing was, I couldn't exactly blame him considering the fact that his daughter was _cuddling_ me. Right. In. Front. Of. Him.

All I could do was blink.

He sighed, walking to the coffee table in front of me and sitting down on it. I swallowed hard, knowing that nothing good could come of that expression. For a while, there was silence. All he did was stare into my eyes, and I tried to hold his gaze with confidence, but I couldn't do it for long. I cleared my throat, suddenly finding myself looking at anything _but_ him.

"Jace." He finally said my name again, and I forced myself to meet his stare again, "Please don't break her heart." It came out soft, surprisingly not threatening. I opened my mouth to tell him that Clary and I were _just friends_ , and that she was asleep and not conscious of her actions, but he held up a hand before I could make a sound, "I see the way you look at her." I swallowed hard at his words, but I shouldn't be nervous, because he was _wrong_. I didn't look at her _that way._

"We're not like that." I finally managed to get it out, "I mean, we haven't even been _on good terms_ for long, much less..." The last part of that was better left unsaid.

"You didn't deny it." Luke pointed out, and my eyes widened marginally when I realized that he was right. The corner of his lip twitched, making me realize that I'd been silent for way too long. I had to rectify the situation. Fast.

"I don't see her that way." I tried, but it came out weaker than intended. It probably would have been stronger had it not been _Luke_ I was talking to. To be honest, I was bracing myself for the threatening 'Dad Talk' that he'd provided for Clary's past boyfriends. I'd never heard it, but the looks on her ex's faces told me exactly what I needed to know. I swallowed hard, praying that Luke would believe me and I would avoid his wrath, but I had a feeling it was inevitable.

Then, Luke chuckled.

My gaze snapped to meet his, and to say I was surprised was a complete understatement. Instead of pinning me with a cold, hard glare, there was an amused light in his eyes and a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. I was too shocked to say a word, so he went on.

"I _would_ threaten your life at this point..." Luke's grin turned to a smirk, "But I have a feeling that Isabelle had that covered." My mouth bobbed open and closed, because was it really _that obvious_ what Isabelle had been talking about? Several times.

Not that I _needed_ it.

Not at all.

"I was serious when I said I'm not interested." I forced myself to relax, and on the outside, it worked pretty well. The inside was a different story. Luke's expression didn't drop in the slightest, and my heart pounded in my chest. If _he_ thought that after only barely seeing us for a fraction of a night, how the hell did people around us take it? I reminded myself that Luke was her father, so he would be extra paranoid. The accidental position we were in was most likely a factor. But it was _just an accident._

Luke nodded, but I could tell that he didn't quite believe me. I thought he was going to crack a joke, but for what had to be my sake, he didn't.

"Good night." Was all he said, and my eyes grew wide at the fact that he was letting us _stay_ the way we were sitting. He didn't even comment on it. Instead, he rose to his feet, but just before he took a step toward the hallway, he paused, "Be careful with her, Jace." For some reason, the words struck a chord in me, and I found myself nodding slowly.

"I will." I returned, my voice softer than intended. As soon as he was gone, my entire body relaxed. I hadn't even noticed I was tense until it went away. Then, I closed my eyes tightly, taking a deep breath. Despite the fact that we'd been cuddling, I couldn't seem to look down. It was completely justified, because snuggling in private was one thing. _This_ was different. _This_ was in front of her entire friend group, minus-thank god-Isabelle.

This was something a couple did. _Not_ two people who were rivals less than two months before. Then again, _rivals_ didn't exactly cuddle at night.

My mind suddenly screeched to a halt.

Oh god.

 _Oh god._

They knew. Every person in this room _knew_ about it. They _had_ to, seeing as Alec-as in the _only_ other person who knew about Clary's and my...situation-was here, _and_ Clary had said that they were having an intervention about 'Things'. It wasn't hard to put the puzzle together, but I could rest in a state of denial.

Or not.

Considering the fact that even current evidence pointed toward Alec telling the truth, I couldn't get them off our trail if I tried. It probably would've been useless since Clary had most likely confirmed it. And even if _she_ didn't, my magically showing up at the door probably tilted everyone in the wrong direction.

Okay, _technically_ , it was the _right_ direction, but I'd like to think otherwise. Well, that would involve thinking cuddling Clary was _wrong_.

And was it wrong?

It wasn't like I was hurting or or playing her or anything of the sort. We were cuddling. _Just_ cuddling. And the only reason we were doing that was because we can somehow formed a weird codependent relationship. With sleep, that is. _Only_ with sleep. There was no way she could get the wrong idea. No way at all, because I didn't treat her _any_ different than...

I stopped for a second, trying to find an end to that thought.

Seelie? _Did you even have to bring up her name, you idiot_.

Will? _Yeah, because you play football with her_ all _the time_.

Isabelle? _God, no._

Okay, so I treated her different, but it wasn't like I thought of her like everyone _seemed_ to assume I did.

I didn't flirt with her.

( _You told her she looks cute when she blushes_ )

I didn't hang out with her alone.

( _That's what you were going for tonight_ )

I didn't touch her unnecessarily.

( _Your arm is_ literally _wrapped around her_ )

I didn't...

( _Yeah, you've got nothin'_ )

* * *

 **Sooooooooooooooooooo what is our dear sweet Jace thinking? Is he (FINALLY) realizing what we all did way long ago? That question shall remain unanswered for a bit longer. It's fun to try and pry Jace out of denial. That's the best part. And I'm so sorry I haven't been here in so long. Life is just life. And school is just school. (The second one being regrettably) (Except for Psychology) (Psychology is great). So anyways...**

 **Question of the Chapter: What's your favorite thing about life?**

 **It's an actual serious question, because it's important to have an answer. I hope that, even if you don't review it, you consider it.**

 **With all the love to my Faithfuls,**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	16. Chapter 15

**HELLO MY FAITHFULS! I have been away for a long time, and I am sooooo sorry. To be honest, I hit a huge writer's block and lost all inspiration for the story. A few nights ago, the idea** _ **struck**_ **, but I've been so busy and writing whenever I could. It was to the point of where today, I was dress shopping with a friend, and I was typing on my phone while she was trying stuff on. AND I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED THANK EVERYTHING HOLY. Anyways, after a many months wait...On with the story...**

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

I nodded my head slightly to the beat of the music currently playing in my ear buds, barely containing the urge to burst out singing. If I was home, I'd be belting the words at the top of my lungs, but I had a feeling that the Central Park wasn't exactly the setting for an impromptu concert. Even though I _really_ wanted to sing.

Suddenly, my eardrums practically exploded when a loud chime rang out, and I jumped slightly, startled. I made a mental note to turn my phone on _vibrate_ while blasting my favorite songs. Then, I debated whether or not checking my phone would be worth setting my pencil down. I was lazy, so the answer was easy. However, I'd forgotten that my phone would alert me again after two minutes, so when it did, I flinched.

I grumbled a few curses, happy that no one seemed to be around my spot at the moment. Well, I _was_ happy that no one was around until I read the text on my screen.

 **From: Unknown Number:**

 _I'm watching you, Clarissa_

My head snapped up, swiveling around to find whoever it was. If it had just been the first part, I would've written it off as some idiot pranking a random person, but _my name_ was there at the end. There was no one in sight, and I swallowed hard, imagining some creep in all black staring at me with a camera.

Needless to say, the serene solitude soon turned into the intro to a season 1 Supernatural episode. As in, the first five minutes where the unfortunate victim is brutally murdered. It may not be a wendigo, but a human could do a lot of damage. At least, a human could do a lot of damage to a five-foot-nothing girl who's only arm exercise was lifting the Cheetos from the bag to my mouth. Pathetic, I know.

My phone beeped again.

 **From: Unknown Number**

 _Do you want to play a game, My Pretty?_

I kept myself from chucking my phone as far as possible and running, trying to run possibilities through my head. There were two that stood out. Number one was that it was a stalker was watching my clearly uneventful life. Number two was that Jace had somehow gotten my number. Granted, it being Jace was a smaller possibility in my twisted mind, but I decided to take the chance anyways.

I opened up the Messaging app.

 **To: Unknown Number**

 _Seriously, Jace? You can do better than this._

My hands were shaking slightly as I hit send, and I stared at the screen, waiting for the typing bubble to appear. A second later, it did.

And then it disappeared.

And then it came back.

And then it disappeared.

I let out the breath I'd been holding, relief flooding through me. Technically, I didn't have a stalker, but by doing that, Jace was getting pretty close. The typing bubble didn't return, so I assumed Jace was miffed that I'd figured out his little trick. I decided that it would probably be best to add him as a contact, because I'd rather avoid future Supernatural season 1 situations. "Goldilocks" seemed like the fitting name, so I programed it and set my phone down, ready to resume drawing.

What I didn't expect was for someone to whisper in my ear.

"Boo." A soft voice said, and I jumped to my feet, smacking my assailant with my sketchbook as if it would actually protect me. When I realized who it was, I frowned, then hit him with the sketchbook again for good measure.

"A pencil is a better weapon, Chili Pepper." Jace smirked, and I grabbed one, raising it threateningly. He rolled his eyes, then sat down next to where I had been before he so kindly ripped me from my creative bliss. I realized that even if I tried to stab him, he would catch my arm before the sharp point would graze him. It was no use.

I huffed out a sigh, plopping down in my previous spot.

"What do you want?" I grumbled, trying to sound angrier than I actually was. He saw right through me, smiling as he ruffled my hair. Slapping his hand was basically pointless, but I did it anyways, just for my own peace of mind.

"Is it a crime for me to-"

"Stalk a poor, innocent girl?" I cut him off, "Actually, it is." A chuckle escaped him, but he didn't say anything, instead staring out ahead at the scene I'd been sketching. He wouldn't speak until he wanted to, so I grabbed the semi-weapon again, going back to recreating the picture before me.

"That's really good." Jace murmured, and my head snapped up. Despite our budding friendship, he had never actually complimented my art. Then again, he had never really been allowed to see it, so I couldn't blame him. My heart seemed to skip a beat for some odd reason. That was when our closeness hit me. His face wasn't even six inches from mine, seeing as he'd been leaning over to look at the paper.

Something struck me as I tilted my head, looking into his eyes.

"I would love to draw you." I hadn't permitted the words to leave my mouth, but studying his features, I didn't care. Unconsciously, I brought my hand up, gently brushing the angle of his cheekbone, already seeing it in my mind. His eyes widened a fraction, and I saw his adam's apple bob.

"I would let you." The model joke a part of me had been expecting didn't come, and I felt a soft smile touch my lips. My fingers skimmed down his face and over his lips. I was in full-blown artist mode, but I didn't miss the way his breath caught for a fraction of a second. It was actually what made me snap out of it.

I moved back, dropping my hand and putting space between us, cheeks on fire.

"So what was the point of creeping me the hell out?" I aimed for normalcy, and to my relief, he smirked, letting the subject change go. He opened his mouth, but I quickly added, "The truth." He pouted like a baby, but I didn't cave.

"I'm bored and alone." He stated, and I raised my eyebrows. Judging by the look on his face, he was about to tease me, but luckily, he showed me mercy, "Come to the house. No one else is there." My eyebrows climbed higher, and mild disbelief coursed through me. I mean, we had been alone before if you counted no one else being in the _room_ , but having an entire house to ourselves was uncharted territory. Then again, he didn't have feelings for me, so it wouldn't matter in the end.

"Are you propositioning me, Jonathan Christopher?" I couldn't pass up the joke, and he snorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Yes, Shortstack." He deadpanned, "I'm propositioning you." A grin tugged at the corners of my lips, and I shook my head. And then _that_ little part of me flared up. It was the part that supplied possibilities of what we could do in a house alone. I mentally kicked myself, because I wasn't the kind of person who had a dirty mind. I should leave that to Jace.

"You're paying for the cab." I tried to push the thoughts out of my head.

"Of course." Jace smiled, obviously pleased with my decision. Then, he rose to his feet, and to my great surprise, he offered me a hand. I took it with a bit of wariness, because I half expected him to lift me halfway then drop me. It didn't happen. Instead, once I was up, he went ever further, grabbing my art supplies off of the grass.

"Did someone take a lesson on chivalry?" I asked, and he laughed lightly. Apparently, he didn't feel the need to justify my question with an answer. He just started walking away. Even though hsi strides were much longer, I managed to keep up with him as we walked out of the park and to the street. There was silence between us, but it wasn't the uncomfortable kind. It was just two friends walking and enjoying the scenery.

When we were standing on the curb, I anticipated the eternal wait for a cab to be actually empty. Apparently, I didn't have to, because the second Jace raised his arm, a yellow car pulled up in front of us. For a minute, I just stared, because it was nearly impossible to get a taxi that fast. I must've taken too long, because Jace grabbed my hand, pulling me inside when I hadn't even realized he was sitting.

A moment after I sat down, I noticed that he hadn't let go of my hand. Granted, he was already looking out of the window. That just gave me free reign to stare at where we were connected. And then I remembered that I had to buckle my seatbelt, so I reluctantly released him. He seemed too distracted to even think about it, so I just took a deep breath, trying to calm my pounding heart.

I couldn't get over the fact that Jace and I would have the _entire_ house to ourselves.

Just us.

Alone.

Together.

Those last four words played in my mind like a broken record until we stopped in front of The Institute.

"Chili Pepper." Jace snapped his fingers in front of my face, pulling me from my thoughts, "We're here." I tried to slow my rushing mind, but I had a feeling that it wouldn't work. Nevertheless, I scooted out of the taxi, smiling at the driver and giving him a polite goodbye. Jace walked up to the gate, typing in the code and letting it slide open. We entered the yard, and with each step closer to the door, the tugging of my heart got stronger.

Again, nothing would happen, but that didn't help stop my imagination from running wild.

As soon as we were in the house and the door clicked shot, my thoughts rose to a crescendo. It lessened slightly when Jace turned to me with a curious expression. I offered a smile, and he narrowed his eyes, but took it as a genuine gesture.

"So what are we-"

The question died on my lips when we arrived in the living room. The coffee table was filled with candy-both Jace's favorites and mine-and my jaw dropped once again. I turned to him, only to find a light dusting of pink on his cheek. Jace was blushing, as in _actual_ blushing, and it stunned me a tiny bit.

Okay, it stunned me a lot.

He'd set it up without even knowing for sure I was coming, and warmth flooded into my heart. Jace stared at me, obviously waiting for a reaction. It took a second for one to come, but when it did, it was subtle. I sent him a soft smile, and the tension I had seen in his body lessened. Before he even had the chance to tell me, I plopped down on the couch, reaching forward and snatching my chocolate.

"So what are we gonna do?" I finished my earlier question around a mouthful of heaven. Jace shrugged, sitting down next to me. Normally, I would've made fun of him for not planning past food, but I was way too distracted by aforementioned food. Because it was _chocolate_ and _candy_ , and my sweet tooth was _really_ showing. But it was Jace, so I didn't really care.

"Are you chewing the candy or inhaling it?" Jace asked. I looked up long enough to send him a slight glare before turning back to the sugary goodness, "How are you so skinny?" I huffed, realizing then that Jace had invited me over, and when someone invited someone else to something, that generally implied social interaction. I was just swallowing my last bit when... "Your mouth could be put to much better use."

Luckily, the food went down before it could get caught, but I still started choking on my own spit. I expected Jace to laugh, but all he did was smirk, eyes warm yet calculating. It was almost like he was assessing my reaction, like it meant more than just a laugh. I shoved that little hope to the back of my mind. My cheeks were still burning, though. Then, I just _had_ to remember what he'd said what seemed like forever ago.

That I look cute when I blush.

I decided to ignore that in favor of attempting retaliation.

"And what might that be?" I challenged, and an expression of surprise flitted across his face. He obviously hadn't expected me to play along, but it seemed like he adjusted pretty fast, because a grin spread across his face. He made direct eye contact, his irises a shining gold, and it took everything in me not to squirm or crack under his gaze.

"Well..." Jace trailed off, and a part of me thought that he would relent and give up. But it was Jonathan Christopher Lightwood, so that chance was about as small as an electron. All of a sudden, he popped my personal space bubble. He slid close enough for my thigh to be pressed against his.

"There are too many things to count." His voice was soft as he reached out a hand, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. I swallowed hard, and I almost sucked in a sharp breath. Luckily, I was able to hold myself back. Then, his fingers traveled down my face, much like mine had with his earlier. My heart was pounding in my chest so hard that I almost thought he could hear it.

"Have you ever even kissed a guy, Clary?" My blush deepened at his words, but that gave me the ability to at least nod my head. I mentally noted that he said 'Clary', not Shortstack or Chili Pepper or Clarissa. "Like _real_ kiss?"

"What do you mean _real_?" My voice was quieter than it should have been, but at least it was there.

"Like _my_ level kiss." Jace said, as if that would clarify anything.

"You can't be _that_ good, Goldilocks." I teased, not even knowing if I believed what was coming out of my mouth, "I mean, you obviously exaggerate."

"Should I prove it?" He asked, his tone husky. My eyes widened, and all I could do was blink. My brain totally flatlined. He couldn't be thinking what I was thinking. He _couldn't_ be thinking it, because Jace Lightwood would never willingly kiss Clary Fray. It just wasn't in the natural order of things, and I should _not_ get my hopes up. Still, I couldn't speak.

My lips parted, but no words escaped.

Apparently, he took that as an answer, because he ever so slowly leaned in closer. It was like everything I wanted was being offered on a silver platter, but I didn't know what to do with it. Then, I processed his earlier words. He was trying to prove a point, not do something real. Right before his lips touched mine, I scooted back, resenting myself for every centimeter I put between us. He tilted his head, silently asking what had happened, but I just shook my head.

"I need to get some water." I managed the words before jumping to my feet and bolting to the kitchen. My breaths were still shaky, and I walked over to the sink and put my hands on the counter, dropping my head. I scolded myself for my momentary lapse in judgement, because it was a _game_. Jace didn't want anything more. I had to get that through my head.

The thing I should've realized was that Jace Lightwood didn't give up something he wanted that easily.

The arms around my waist didn't startle me for some reason. It was almost like I had been subcounsciously expecting it.

"What happened to drinking water?" He let out a rumbling chuckle that I could feel, seeing as his chest was pressed against my back. I worked on keeping my breathing at a normal pace, but when I felt his breath on the shell of my ear, I still shivered involuntarily. My mind wasn't even cursing my body for showing the reaction, because it was too caught up in _Jace_.

"Turn around." He murmured, and any semblance of resistance left me. I spun slowly to face him, and we were closer than we'd ever been before. One of his hands came up to cup my cheek, his other arm tightening around me. He leaned in so that our lips were millimeters apart, "Do you want this?" I could barely hear the words. All I could do was nod.

My eyes fluttered shut, and his lips brushed mine gently, then-

"JACE!" My eyes flew open and Jace jumped back, hearing the youngest Lightwood's voice approaching, "There's so much candy!" Max barreled into the kitchen, not seeing me as he attacked his older brother with a hug. Jace's gaze clashed with mine, and I was slightly shaking from what had almost happened.

My eyes lowered to the little ball of energy, and for the first time ever, I cursed his existence.

* * *

 **So, my Faithfuls...Do you feel the tension rising? Who knows when it's going to break ;). Writing this chapter, I'm realizing how much I miss this story along with messing with your heads. Evil, I know. But I take pleasure in it :)**

 **Question of the Chapter: What is your absolute favorite memory summed up in twenty words or less?**

 **I shall be back sooner than before (I hope)**

 **With love to my Faithfuls,**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	17. Chapter 16

**HELLO MY FAITHFULS! So, I think you guys will both like and hate this chapter. It's getting CLOSER to telling you guys what you want to know. But you'll have to figure out for yourself just HOW close ;) Don't worry. There will be a significant amount of torture that comes with this chapter. Just in case you were waiting for it :)**

 **CLARY POV**

* * *

I almost kissed Jace.

 _I almost kissed Jace._

 _I, Clarissa Adele Fray, almost kissed Jace._

Well, actually I _did_ kiss Jace, if brushing lips counted as a kiss. Did that count as a kiss? Normally, I would be ranting to Isabelle about all this and more, but _no_. It just _had_ to be her brother I almost kissed. Her not-gay brother. Just for clarification.

I groaned, flipping so that my face was in the pillow, then screamed for a sufficient amount of time. After I was done with that little fit, I buried my face deeper, wanting to scream again but controlling myself. It had been ten hours and twenty three minutes. I wasn't pathetic enough to count the seconds though. Minutes were not pathetic. They were just mildly obsessed, and mildly obsessed was better than pathetic.

Or so I told myself.

I lifted my head enough to glance at the alarm clock on my nightstand. 12:34AM. Ten hours and twenty _four_ minutes.

Okay, minutes were pathetic too.

I grabbed my phone, resigned to the fact that I would be playing Candy Crush for the rest of the night, and pointedly _not_ thinking about stupid Jace. Or his stupid smile. Or his stupid whiter-than-white teeth. Or his stupid lips. Or his stupid-

My eyes shifted to the date, and everything in me stopped.

That was when my world came crashing down.

* * *

 **JACE POV**

"Good morning!" I smiled as I walked into the classroom, pulling up the seat next to Clary. She turned to me with a grin, but there was something...wrong with it. As girly as it sounded, it didn't reach her eyes. Actually, there was something wrong with her eyes too. They were almost blank, like she was here, but at the same time, she wasn't.

"Good morning." Her voice was soft, and by all counts, it sounded normal, but I _knew_ something was wrong. Then, she turned to me, furrowing her eyebrows like _I_ was the one who was acting out of character. But I wouldn't fall for it. I had known her for pretty much all of our lives, and _this_ wasn't her.

"What's wrong?" I asked, hoping my voice was more caring than curious. She tilted her head to the side, but didn't say a word, "Clary-" And of _course,_ the bell had to ring. And Mr. Starkweather _always_ started right that second. Unlike Clary, he was the exact same. But I wasn't a quitter, and I wasn't about to give up.

"Clary-" I started again, but all she did was silently point ahead at the whiteboard. My fingers tapped on my desk seemingly of their own accord as I tried to focus on the lesson, but it was impossible. I was fidgety, but I couldn't be blamed. _Clearly_ , there was something going on. I shouldn't be able to see it, but I did.

So like the third grader I am inside, I ripped off a piece of paper and started writing:

 _Clarissa, what's wrong?_

I slid it discreetly onto her desk. She tossed me a quick confused look, then looked back to the front of the room. All she did was ignore it, and normally, that would piss me off, but I knew Clary wouldn't do that unless there was a good reason. I just didn't know what that reason was. And I had a feeling I wouldn't, not for a long time.

So I would wait.

The second I thought that, something inside me changed. Jace Lightwood did not _wait_. Jace Lightwood was relentless, and he didn't stop until he got what he wanted. He didn't take _feelings_ into consideration, but for some reason, I did now. Well, there was a reason that I didn't quite want to know, but I did.

It was Clary.

To my surprise, the urge to backtrack, to make everything normal, wasn't there. Instead, I'd accepted that thought, even though I hadn't admitted it to myself until now. Maybe at this point, it _was_ normal. At least, for her.

The bell suddenly rang, and it hit me that I'd been lost in my thoughts for the entire lesson, but I couldn't find it in me to care. I turned to face Clary, only to find that she'd packed up at lightning speed. By the time I'd gathered my things, she was already out the door. I didn't even have the chance to call her name.

And then something occurred to me. I may not be able to figure out what was wrong, but the least I could do was help.

I took a deep breath, shifting from foot to foot, my nerves taking over. I thought about leaving, but I couldn't. I had to go through with this. My fist raised to knock on the door, but I dropped it right before I made a sound. I could feel my palms sweating. It shouldn't be this hard. My heart shouldn't be pounding. Maybe I shouldn't have come in the first place.

Then, I remembered how Clary's eyes looked this morning, so I swallowed my fear and knocked. To my surprise, it wasn't Clary who answered the door. It was her mother. The pounding grew harder, and I went from scared to terrified. Clary's mom could be just as scary as her daughter when she was mad, and I would rather avoid that.

"Jace?" She phrased it as a question, sounding utterly baffled, even with just that one word. I couldn't blame her, because she probably hadn't been told about our friendship. To be honest, that was probably a blessing. Well, I thought it was at first.

"Hi, Ms. Fray." I smiled, hoping I didn't look as nervous as I felt. She narrowed her eyes at me, her expression _far_ from welcoming.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, ice in her tone. I swallowed hard, no doubt looking like a deer in headlights. My mouth opened and closed as I floundered for the right words, but they weren't coming. The normally suave me had absolutely no idea what to say.

"I'm here to see Clary." I finally managed, hoping it would help. Sadly, it seemed to do the opposite, because her frown grew deeper. For a moment, she stared at me, searching my soul with her eyes. Then, she said the exact thing I didn't want to hear.

"She doesn't need _you_ right now." Ms. Fray growled, hostility oozing from her tone, "She doesn't need someone telling her she's not good enough. She doesn't need someone telling her she's not pretty enough. She doesn't need _you_. I've let you off the hook far too many times, but this is crossing a line. The only reason I even _tolerate_ you is because you're Isabelle's brother."

My jaw dropped, and I could admit that my heart was shattered. So _that_ was what Clary's mom thought about me. All those years, that was what she'd been thinking. My gaze shifted to the ground, and I nodded. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, then built up the courage to look back at her.

I pulled my backpack off, opening it silently. Then, I did what I needed to do.

"Please give these to her." I murmured softly, starting to pull things out, "I brought some chocolates. Her favorite." I handed the box to Ms. Fray. Her brow furrowed, and her shock was clear, "Here's her Sherlock DVDs she left at the house." I handed that over, "Here are her fuzzy socks that she also left." Handed that to her. Then, I took a deep breath, pulling out the final thing. I stared at the stuffed bear in my hands, complete with a military uniform.

"This is Sergeant Cuddles." I didn't lift my eyes, squeezing the bear tighter, "She's been having nightmares, and she needs something to hold. I don't know what she dreams about, but I know she needs something to snuggle, something to make her feel safe. Tell her that Sergeant Cuddles is a strong soldier, and he'll protect her through the night."

I finally looked up, and what I saw shocked me. Ms. Fray was staring at me, a hand over her mouth. But that wasn't the biggest thing. _That_ was the fact that there was a single tear rolling silently down her cheek. I opened my mouth, having no idea what to say. Luckily I was saved by someone else.

"Let him in." Luke said softly, and I couldn't believe my eyes when she stepped to the side. After a second of hesitation, I stepped inside. Suddenly, I was pulled into a hug by both Ms. Fray and Luke. I tentatively wrapped my arms around them.

"She's in her room." Luke motioned for me to follow. When we got there, the door was closed, and we stopped in front of it. "I'm going to warn you now." Luke's voice was almost a whisper, "She probably won't respond. Actually, she might not even look at you. And whatever you do, don't touch her." I nodded without saying a word, and Luke quietly opened the door, "Hey, Clare Bear." I heard a hum of question, but she didn't speak or turn around, "I've got someone who wants to see you."

"I don't want visitors." Her voice was so soft, so fragile, nothing like I'd ever heard before.

"Sorry, Jace." Ms. Fray smiled at me sadly, and I still had whiplash from her change in behavior, "Maybe tomor-"

"Jace?" My head snapped to face her, and I found that she was staring at me. Here eyes were red and puffy, no doubt from crying.

"Hey, Chilli Pepper." I grinned at her, and I saw a flicker of something in her eyes. It was something good, and even though it disappeared as fast as it came, it was something. I cautiously walked to the side of her bed, making sure to pay attention to her reaction. She didn't seem to mind, so I kneeled down at her side, resisting the urge to touch her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quietly. I moved to stroke her hair, but at the last minute, I pulled away. It was so hard, because I was so used to comforting her like that, so it killed me inside. I distracted myself by looking into her eyes, which were wide with disbelief.

"I brought you something." I whispered, "Actually, a few things." She tilted her head in confusion, but I didn't say anything as I grabbed the presents from Ms. Fray, walking back over and kneeling again. I handed them to her without a word, secretly freaking out inside. What if she didn't like it? What if she didn't want me here?

"Who's this little guy?" Her eyes flicked between me and the bear.

"His name is Sergeant Cuddles." I started the story again, "You can hold him at night. He'll protect you from the nightmares. He's a strong soldier, just like you" Her mouth opened and closed, but no words escaped. I was starting to get _very_ nervous, because I didn't know if it was a good silence or a bad one. I started to get up, but all of a sudden, she grabbed my hand.

I barely held back my gasp, but her parents couldn't seem to keep it in. She ended up lacing her fingers with mine, and I stared at her in extreme shock. Her cheeks were tinted pink, and I resisted the urge to tease her about blushing. This wasn't the time or place though, so I stayed beside her, just holding her hand.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

When she opened them, they weren't all the way normal, but they were less dazed than they had been. I wanted to jump up and down like a little kid, screaming, "I did it!" There was no logical reason that I should be this happy, but at the moment, even the smallest change felt like a huge victory. There was just something in me that said I'd done something amazing.

"C-Can we watch Sherlock?" She asked quietly, and I opened my mouth to tell her that of course we could, but a soft sound caught my attention. I turned slightly to see Ms. Fray staring in awe once again. That was what made me change my decision. Now, it was me closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"No." I rose to my feet, but I didn't let her go. Panic shined in her irises, so I squeezed her hand, and her expression calmed a bit, " _We_ are going to watch Sherlock." I motioned toward her parents, and the panic returned. I cursed myself silently, wanting to take back what had obviously made things worse. But then, something absolutely wonderful happened.

Determination sparked in her eyes, and she slowly peeled the covers away.

That was when I saw it. Her shirt had ridden up just enough for me to see something on her side. It was a scar, and not a light one. The mark was deep and long, and I hadn't realized I'd been staring until she froze completely. I tore my eyes away to look into hers, then opened my mouth to ask. There was a certain desperate tension to her body, and the look on her face that pleaded me not to say it now. Normally, I would've completely disregarded it, but this was _clearly_ different.

So I swallowed my curiosity, offering a slight nod, and for the first time probably all day, a tiny, real smile touched her lips. I returned it, then tugged on her gently. She got the message, slipping out of bed and standing up. It was barely noticeable, but her entire body trembled.

I wanted to pull her into my arms, but I knew I couldn't. And I knew it had something to do with that scar. So I held myself back, keeping our fingers loosely linked but not stepping closer. She didn't seem to be focused on that though. Instead, she was staring at her parents, who had warranted shock on their faces.

Then, Luke and Ms. Fray's expressions grew carefully hopeful, like too much happiness would scare her away. In all honesty, it probably would. So I grabbed the DVDs, and we all continued to walk on eggshells as we made our way slowly to the living room.

Clary's parents kept a distance, and when we went to sit, they made sure to leave us the larger couch. I sat down, and Clary did the same next to me. Then, I was about to get up to start the show, but her grip on me tightened. I opened my mouth to assure her that I wasn't going anywhere, but before I could get a word out, Luke took the DVDs from my hand.

He walked silently to the television, turning it on, and I lowered myself back down next to Clary. I didn't say a word, afraid that breaking the silence would break _her_. So I looked straight ahead, watching until the beginning of the first episode started. She flinched at the noise of the gunshots, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the tension in her body ease just a fraction.

Even though I'd _really_ liked the show the first time I watched it, I didn't pay attention. I was more focused on Clary and the way the show gradually loosened her muscles. I hadn't noticed how on edge I'd been until I started to calm down, and the indicator that she was getting better came when Sherlock and John were sitting in the restaurant.

"You are not married to your work, Sherlock Holmes!" Her outburst startled us all, and we all whipped to face her. She didn't seem to notice us in favor of glaring at the screen, "You are married to John Watson!" I had no idea whether it was my nerves or her yelling, but I dissolved into a fit of giggles. Her head snapped my way, and she narrowed her eyes, "What?" She growled, but there was no real anger behind it.

"You love Johnlock _way_ too much to be healthy." I teased, and she smacked my arm. Luckily, I was able to keep the shock off my face, focusing on the way she just seemed...lighter. She let go of my hand, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting indignantly as she stared back at the show. I moved to wrap my arm around her out of habit, but she jumped slightly, reminding me that she _wasn't_ all the way okay. She may be better, but not completely fine.

I slowly pulled away, hoping I hadn't ruined everything. To my relief, when my arm was back at side, she relaxed. To be honest, I felt a little sting. I told myself that it had nothing to do with me, and it was mostly working, but a small part of me thought that I might be a piece of it. It was irrational, but Ms. Fray's words began to repeat in my head.

Almost as if she could sense it, Clary slid her hand back over mine, even though she didn't look at me.

And at that moment, I knew in my heart...

She would be okay.

* * *

 **So the first thing I have to say is... This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has helped me through hard times, and everyone who can make me smile when I didn't think I had it in me. Even though many of them won't see it, I want this to be for them. I know a lot of you guys have amazing people in your lives, and there are people who you can lean on. Always know there is someone there, and always know that there is a reason to smile. Even on your darkest days, there will be light.**

 **And I would say I'm sorry for leaving you guys with more question about Clary's past... but I'm not ;). I love to torture you people.**

 **With love to my Faithfuls,**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	18. Chapter 17

**HELLO MY FAITHFULS! So first things first, I am now** _ **obsessed**_ **with Grey's Anatomy. Like seriously, the show is so great. On season 6, and LOVING it. Anyways, back to the story. I really think you guys will like this. A lot. I was crying and playing Gravity on a loop as I wrote it. Yeah, I'm a cryer. Deal with it ;) SO ON WITH THE READING!**

* * *

 **JACE POV**

"Thank you for not asking." Were the words Clary first whispered when the second episode of Sherlock ended. Ms. Fray and Luke were both asleep on the other couch, so it was just me and Clary. I didn't know what to say, because I was scared that anything I would blurt out would be a question. She didn't want questions, "Come with me." She murmured, rising to her feet. I automatically followed her into her room, and she shut the door behind us.

My eyes widened a fraction, but I knew she didn't want to _do_ anything. That didn't change my initial thoughts. I reminded myself of the situation, and the second I looked into her eyes, all bad thoughts fled. I couldn't break our connected gazes. My lips parted, but no words came out. She took a deep breath, then sat down on the bed, patting the space next to her. I followed her unspoken request.

There was silence.

"Do you remember when I went to London a couple years ago?" Her voice was so soft that I could barely hear it. I didn't know how this was related, though. Maybe she was changing the subject to cope. It was something I would do, so I couldn't fault her. Still, I wanted to be careful, because the wrong words might send her back to the place she had been. I nodded.

"I didn't actually go to London." She whispered, and her entire body began to shake. Her quiet words reached my ears. I tilted my head as a cue to continue. She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. When she opened them, I saw so much more than she was saying. There was fear and sadness and hurt.

"Where were you?" I asked after another minute of silence, and I tried to keep my voice gentle, tried to not sound curious. That was when her eyes watered. She closed them again, probably trying to chase away the tears, but we both know that wouldn't happen. Her hard swallow was visible, and I could almost see the war raging in her mind.

"I was at the hospital." She said so fast and soft that I almost didn't catch it. I opened my mouth to speak, then promptly shut it, because I had no idea what speaking would do to her. So I didn't say a thing. She would talk when she was ready. It took her a minute. Her muscles were tensed, as if she was ready to run at any given moment.

Then she lifted her shirt just high enough to reveal a deep scar. My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened. It wasn't small either. After a second, she let it drop. I tore my eyes away from where the scar had been, then stared into her own. Again, it took a while before she went on.

"My father..." She trailed off, clenching and unclenching her fists, a nervous habit that she'd always done, "He wasn't the nicest person." She laughed without humor. It was a dark sound that I wished I could take away. There were so many unspoken emotions in it, but despite how curious I was, I didn't comment, "Do you ever wonder why I spent so much time at your house?" I nodded automatically.

"My house wasn't home." She shook her head, obviously gaining the strength she needed. "He was smart, though. Never bruised where anyone could see it." A feeling of dread rose up in me, because I had a general idea of what had happened. "Alcohol and broken bottles were his poison." Her tremors got worse. "And..." She trailed off, and that was when the tears began to fall. My chest was so tight that I could barely breathe, but I needed her to go on.

"The night before I 'left for London'," She was at the point of hyperventilating, but she powered through, "He went too far. He absolutely hated me, so..." Deep breath, "He grabbed a kitchen knife. I expected a cut. Instead, he..." Deep breath, "He stabbed me in the stomach, then walked out of the house and never came back. I was left to die, to bleed out. If Simon hadn't walked in for a movie marathon..."

She didn't have to say the next part. I didn't _want_ her to say the next part, because I already knew. Hearing it come from her mouth would make things all too real. Then, the images began to flash through my mind. I could picture it vividly. I could imagine her face when the knife sunk in. I could imagine her on the floor, a pool of read soaking her shirt and forming a puddle around her. I could imagine her in a hospital bed. I could imagine her in more pain than I could even fathom.

When I finally drew myself back to the present, I saw her. Her head was down, hair falling around her like a curtain, but I knew she was crying by the way her shoulders shook. She clasped her hands tightly in her lap.

I had no idea what to do. Touching her might bring back memories, the nightmares she had most likely about _this_. What I didn't expect was for her to look back up at me, emerald eyes shining with the tears that ran down her cheeks like rivers. There was a question in them that I couldn't quite decipher, but I tried the only thing that might work in some universe.

I opened my arms.

To be honest, I was ready for her to shy away and curl into herself. That didn't happen. Instead, she leaned into me, resting her head on my chest. I wrapped one arm around her, the other hand coming up to stroke her hair. That was when she started sobbing, so I hugged her tighter, hoping that I could somehow squeeze out the sadness, the horror.

All of a sudden, the door to my her room opened. Apparently, it was a day of surprises, because it wasn't Ms. Fray or Luke standing there. It was Isabelle. We both stared at each other in total shock. Then, I must have adopted a deer in the headlight expression on my face, because she narrowed her eyes. Her gaze was locked with mine, so I knew she hadn't looked down.

"What are you doing here?" She practically hissed, "She doesn't need you to break her right now, and..." Her voice trailed off as she finally saw that Clary was in my arms, and her lips parted in shock, "Clary?" The name came out like a question, but the redhead still lifted her head to look at Izzy. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her breaths were shaky.

She offered Iz a smile that we all knew was fake.

"I'm fine." She croaked, clearly _not_ fine. Both Izzy and I stared at her, our gazes communicating that we didn't believe her. Clary sighed, and she looked like she was collecting herself. Then, she looked next to us on the bed. She grabbed the teddy bear I had given her, hugging it with all her might.

"Where did you get that?" Iz tried for a subject change. I felt my cheeks begin to heat up, and I knew I was blushing, so I dropped my head, attempting to hide it. But it was too late. "Jace gave this to you?" The surprising note to her tone was obvious, and I swallowed hard, wondering how slow my death would be.

"His name is Sergeant Cuddles." Were Clary's first words, "He's a soldier. He'll chase away the nightmares." Finally, I lifted my head, only to find that Isabelle's jaw had dropped. Her eyes flicked between me and Clary, as if she didn't know what to say. Actually, that was the exact reason she was speechless, because she was _always_ spoke her mind.

I realized then that my arms were still around Clary, and she seemed to have the same realization, because we both separated at the same time. She began to retreat into herself again, so Izzy walked over and sat down on her other side.

"Hey." She said softly, then sighed when she got no response, "I would ask if you were okay, but that's clearly not the case." To my surprise, that earned a tiny, fleeting twitch of Clary's lips. "Can I hug you?" The question was barely heard, and Clary tensed up for a second. But ever so slowly, she leaned into Isabelle, who wrapped her arms around her. They stayed like that for what had to be a full minute, and her shaking began to fade.

"Do you mind if I talk to Jace quick?" Iz asked, "It won't take long. We'll be right back." Clary narrowed her eyes slightly, and I could tell a bit of her fire was coming back. She assessed Isabelle, which almost seemed like she was digging into Izzy's soul.

"Okay." Her voice was slightly scared, but I could hear some of her strength returning. Isabelle smiled at her and nodded, but when she looked at me, her gaze was far more threatening, "Outside." Was all she said, then walked out of the room. I followed.

As soon as we were in the living room, she stood in front of me, staring me down, much like Clary had done with her. I didn't know what she was trying to find, but when she did, she sighed, shaking her head. Then, she looked up at the ceiling, probably praying for my demise.

"How did you do it?" She asked with a sigh. I tilted my head in confusion, even though I knew exactly what she meant. My plan was to play stupid, but her expression said that she didn't believe me in the slightest. My mouth opened and closed as I tried to think of a half-truth.

"Sherlock." I finally blurted out. She raised an eyebrow, "I swear it." She blinked wordlessly, then sighed again.

"How long?" Isabelle questioned without any explanation. I hoped my face conveyed my lack of understanding, because I had no idea what she was talking about. She looked at me like I was an idiot, but I couldn't be blamed. There was absolutely no context. "How long have you had _feelings_ for her?" My mouth opened and closed as I searched for some form of denial, but I was too shocked to form words. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving me _that_ look. The look that said she was picking up all my secrets.

'I don't have _feelings_ for her." I finally said, but my voice came out shaky, and even _I_ wouldn't have believed myself. Her eyes turned to slits, and I flinched, waiting for my impending doom. But it didn't come. Instead, her shoulders slumped in what looked like a show of defeat, "You aren't going to yell at me?" My tone was cautious, because I felt like one wrong thing would bring everything crashing down.

"No." Was the simple word that came out of her mouth. There was a minute of silence. Complete and total silence. I had no idea what to say, so I kept my jaw locked tight before I could spill out anything bad. She huffed, "You brought her Sergeant Cuddles, as in a cheesy stuffed bear with a cheesy backstory. And you were practically cuddling her." A laugh escaped her, "You're whipped." And then she just _had_ to add, "You're blushing."

"I am not blushing." I growled indignantly, "Men do not _blush_."

Her eyebrow rose past her hairline, which clearly communicated her disbelief. Like the mature person I am, I stuck my tongue out at her. Like the mature person she is, she threw it right back at me. Suddenly, I felt lighter, like a weight lifted off of my chest. And Isabelle _hadn't_ bitten my head off. Actually, even though she would never admit it, she seemed a tiny bit happy.

And after weeks of burying myself in denial, I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I'm falling in love with her." I hadn't necessarily permitted the words to tumble out of my mouth, but they did. I hoped that it would _help_ my case, because I'd never _ever_ dreamed I would say those words. At least not in high school. And definitely not to Clarissa Adele Fray.

"You've passed the point, Jonathan Christopher Lightwood." Isabelle snorted, and I was astounded by how _okay_ she was with this. She was talking so _lightly_ , "Now go back in there and be with your girlfriend." My cheeks were on fire at that point, so I mumbled something intelligible. She smirked, then shooed me back into Clary's room. I gave her a slightly odd look, "I'll come back later."

"Wait!" I yelled when she started to turn the doorknob. She stopped, turning her head to face me. I took a minute to gain the courage, but I was spurred into action when she cracked the door open. "Does she feel..." I took my umpteenth deep breath. Izzy gestured for me to continue, "Does she feel the same way?" I expected a _hard pass_ , but I didn't get an answer.

All I got in return was a wink and a wave.

And then she was gone.

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

Right when Jace and Isabelle left the room, I started to tense up. I closed my eyes, breathing in and out. In and out. In and out. When I started to calm down, I opened my eyes. Then, I listened. I strained my ears, trying to hear the conversation, but for once I was mad that my walls were thick.

Great for blasting music.

Not great for eavesdropping.

After a minute, I huffed, attempting to distract myself with other things. At first I was able to think about what I wanted to draw next, but that slowly ebbed away. The flashes of memories were leaking back in, and I couldn't seem to stop it. My calm was giving way to panic as I started to hyperventilate. I reached blindly around me, hoping that Jace would miraculously appear so I could grab his hand.

He didn't.

But all of a sudden, my fingers brushed something soft. I was longing for anything at that point, so I gripped the soft thing. When I cuddled it to my chest, something struck me. It was something familiar that smelled like... mangos? My vision started to clear, and I realized what I was holding.

It was Sergeant Cuddles.

A shaky laugh escaped me, because Jace was _right_. It _did_ chase the nightmares away. Sergeant Cuddles was an amazing soldier, _my_ soldier. I held it in front of me, arms outstretched so I could see all of him. That was when I noticed the purple heart on his chest. That was also when I realized that I didn't have my heart.

Because when Jace walked in, I knew I'd put it in his hands.

* * *

 **Yes, this was a bit short, but it got to the point and said what needed to be said. How did you guys like it? I** _ **love**_ **the fact that Izzy was implying things. And how she realized Jace is (maybe) in love with Clary. Interesting...**

 **So the question of the chapter is for all you Grey's Anatomy fans: McDreamy or McSteamy?**

 **I hope you guys have a wonderful time until I update again! You all are awesome. Thank you so much for your support and amazingness. Love you all!  
**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Shadowhunter5801**


	19. Chapter 18

**HELLO MY FAITHFULS! I am** _ **actually updating within a decent time period!**_ **Shocking, I know. But I had to get this out, and I had free time (took a trip to the lake for Father's Day), so BAM I DID IT! I think you guys will like this chapter, because it is filled with... something you've been waiting for ;) I hope you guys like it! And it seems people like Sergeant Cuddles, so he will be making some more appearances! Nowwwww... ON WITH THE STORY!**

* * *

 **JACE POV**

"So Mom and Dad are out of town." Isabelle oh-so-intelligently pointed out without looking up from whatever gossip magazine she was reading. I rolled my eyes, but I knew she couldn't see it, so I decided to verbalize how truly impressed I was with that sentence. Which was not at all.

"Yes, Isabelle." I snorted, "I can see that, you know, considering the fact that they are not here and _told us_ they were leaving-"

"Stop being a smartass." Izzy scolded, turning a page and not bothering to lift her eyes, "I was just thinking that we could have a party." My eyes widened a fraction at how she'd said that so _casually._ As if a party wouldn't destroy our house and leave vomit and food and alcohol everywhere. Then, I wondered when I became responsible enough to _worry_ about the vomit and food and alcohol everywhere.

"Isabelle..." I said slowly, "You know that having a party is a _very_ bad idea, right?" For some reason, _that_ was what got her head to snap up. Her eyebrow was raised, and though she tried to hide it, she looked slightly shocked. I couldn't blame her, because the day had come when Jonathan Christopher Lightwood turned down a _party_.

"I just meant my group." She tilted her head a slight bit in curiosity, "But I never would've thought _you_ would act more responsibly than _me_." I crossed my arms indignantly, letting out a huff of annoyance.

"I am not _responsible_." I grumbled resentfully. All Isabelle had to do was give me a _look_ , and I knew there was no use denying it. Then, what she said registered in my head, "Wait, you consider inviting your little tiny friend group over a _party_?" At that, she smirked, lowering her gaze back to her celebrity gossip. I glared at her as she continued with her magazine.

"I don't." She admitted, no remorse in her tone, "I just wanted to see your reaction." _Clarification, you just wanted to see how much Clary changed me_ , "Actually, I wanted to see how much Clary changed you." Well I didn't expect her to actually _say_ it. I thought it would remain nonverbal, but apparently, it had to be said aloud.

"Whatever." Was my extremely intelligent response, and even though I couldn't see it, I knew she had a stupidly smug look on her face. I opened my mouth to give her somewhat of a newly decent retort, but before I could, the doorbell rang. Isabelle just ignored it, instead opting to continue on with whatever scandal was going on in Hollywood. Clearly, she wasn't about to get up, so after another ring of the doorbell, I groaned, stomping to the door in a dignified way. Or at least, what I hoped was a dignified way.

I opened the door to reveal Clary standing there, bundled up in a jacket with a beanie pulled over her head. She smiled, and I hated to admit it, but it caused a sudden warmth in me.

 _And now you sound like a girly preteen. Congratulations, Jace. You have successfully reverted in age._

"Hey, Jace." She greeted.

"Hey, Shortcake." I regained my senses, stepping to the side to let her in. She took the silent cue, stepping past me and into the house. She peeled the jacket off, walking into the living room and tossing it on a chair before plopping down on the couch next to Izzy. I opened my mouth to start some sort of conversation but the doorbell rang again. My first instinct was to walk over to the entryway again, but I stopped myself.

"Isabelle, they're your guests." I said pointedly, trying not to sound immature, "You get off your butt and let them in." Iz opened her mouth to protest, but the stubborn look I gave her made her sigh, relenting. She got up, stomping away much like I had, and I took the opportunity to steal her spot next to Clary.

"So do you have any idea what we're doing?" Clary asked, and I was surprised that she honestly didn't know what was in store, "Isabelle just told me, and I quote, 'Be ready for anything'. And then she _winked_. That terrifies me." When the words found their way through my thick skull, the blood drained from my face. I _knew_ it _had_ to have something to do with me and Clary, because I _knew_ Isabelle Lightwood. She would not have _winked_ unless she meant business.

I saw the moment Clary noticed the change in me, because she narrowed her eyes slightly. Luckily, I was saved by the rest of her group entering the room. I waved to all of them, but when I turned to Clary, she was still focused on me.

"What do you know?" She whispered softly, so no one else could hear her but me. I shrugged, trying to look as innocent as possible. Obviously, she didn't fall for it, but to my surprise, _Isabelle_ was the one who saved me from further questioning. Izzy clapped, drawing all attention to herself.

"So let's start this off with a fun little game of Truth or Dare."

...So maybe _saved_ wasn't the right word.

"Wow, Iz." Simon laughed nervously, and it didn't seem like I was the only one who was wary, "Are we just jumping straight into the deep end?" Yes, apparently we were, because Truth or Dare was a dangerous game. A _very_ dangerous game, especially when Isabelle Lightwood was the one who initiated it. The rest of the group shared nervous looks, so I didn't feel bad about my own slight fear.

Okay, so my fear wasn't _slight_ , considering the fact that this game was meant to have _me_ as the victim.

"Of course we are!" Iz said cheerfully. Then, with reluctant grumbles, everyone found a place to sit. I cursed the fact that none of us were brave enough to speak up against it, but we all knew that if we did, we would die at her hands, "So, who wants to go first?" Everyone raised their hands at once, none of us wanting to face anyone else's wrath.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the dirty dares had still not been breached, which gave me hope. I knew that Izzy wouldn't initiate them, because that would be too obvious. So far, we seemed to be in the green. The dares had mostly consisted of embarrassing things, but not _dirty_ embarrassing things. And Clary was up, so I knew we would be safe.

"Isabelle, truth or dare?" And then she got _the_ smile on her face. It was _the_ smile she used whenever things were about to go wrong with her as the catalyst.

"Dare, of course." Isabelle smirked, challenge clear in her gaze. And then, the worst thing humanly possible happened.

"I dare you to kiss Simon."

And the key twisted in the lock.

"Okay." Isabelle shrugged as if it was no big deal, but I saw the war raging in her mind. A part of her was nervous about kissing Simon, but the other larger part of her was smug as all hell, because shit was about to go down. After their kiss, of course. Isabelle crawled over to Simon, pressing a quick peck to his lips as he stared at her, dumbfounded. Even though she would deny it until the day she died, her cheeks were the tiniest bit pink.

And that was when I made the mistake of snorting.

Her head snapped my way, and I knew I was screwed.

"Jace." She grinned sweetly, "Truth or dare?" I weighed my options in my mind. If I chose dare, I had no idea what in the world would ensue. If I chose truth, I knew _exactly_ what would ensue. She would ask what I felt for Clary, and because I was a man with irrational pride, I wouldn't be able to lie. So I chose to suffer at the hands of fate.

"Dare." I squeaked out the word, then closed my eyes tightly.

"I dare you..." Isabelle hummed like she was thinking, but I knew she had been waiting for this moment. Actually, the whole game had probably revolved around this moment. Most likely, it would just be a quick kiss, because Isabelle was evil, but not _diabolical_. "I dare you to kiss Clary for twenty seconds."

Scratch that. She was diabolical.

"And at some point, the word French has to be thrown in the mix."

No, scratch _that_. She was _worse_ than diabolical.

Surprised murmurs spread around the room, and clearly, none of them knew about Izzy's support. I ignored them. At least, I _tried_ to ignore them, but I couldn't keep my eyes from flicking around the room. All of them were shellshocked, which didn't help me at all. But I had to do it. Not that I would be complaining. The only thing was that I had to try and look unaffected, which would be a feat of amazement.

I swallowed hard, taking a deep breath, then pulled every bit of fake bravado in me to the surface. A smirk grew on my face, and I turned to Clary, whose eyes were wide. Her lips were parted, and I couldn't help but think that in a few seconds, I would be _kissing_ those lips. My hands shook the tiniest bit, but I didn't know whether it was out of nervousness or anticipation.

 _She_ , on the other hand, looked terrified.

"Scared, Shortcake?" I challenged, trying in my own twisted way to make her _less_ scared. Apparently, it was the right thing to do, because the fear on her face turned into a challenging glare.

"I'm not scared." Her eyes narrowed.

"Well you shouldn't be, because I'm about to rock your world." I wiggled my eyebrows, feeling my own nerves begin to calm. She rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was trying not to smile. It made the smirk on my face a bit less fake.

"All bark and no bite." She said simply, a smirk tugging at her own mouth.

"Oh I can bite." My voice was lower than intended, and her eyes widened just a fraction, but it was enough for me to see, "But I won't." I didn't miss her hard swallow, and it gave me the confidence I needed to get up from the couch and walk over to the spot on the floor she'd switched to at some point during the game. After I sat down in front of her, I knew it was time. I moved so that our lips were millimeters apart, and I could feel her breaths on my skin, "It's okay." I murmured just loud enough for her to catch, "It's me."

She gave me the tiniest nod, and then I closed the distance.

At first it was soft, just a gentle brush of lips. Then, there was a slight bit more pressure, but it was still achingly soft and sweet. And that was when I had the realization that this was enough, that I could probably sit for hours doing just this, because it was _Clary_ I was kissing. It was so different than any of my one night stands. Granted, that made sense, considering the fact that I actually felt something for Clarissa Adele Fray.

And then her lips started to move against mine, and it felt glorious. My hand came up to cup her cheek of its own accord, but she didn't mind, judging by the way she leaned into my touch. Her arms came to rest around my neck, and I realized that we'd probably used up about ten seconds of our time, so it was time to take it a step further.

I gently licked her bottom lip, and she gasped. That one sound was what made me lose it. I pulled her closer, letting my tongue slip into her mouth, not rough enough to scare her, but enough to let her know my intentions, which were slowly blurring into something _other_ than the dare. Her hands slid up my neck and into my hair, and she tugged, which was always my undoing. With other girls, it felt good. With _Clary_ , it felt-

She tugged again, and my mind went wild as I let out what sounded like a bit of a growl. Fine, a lot like a growl. One of my hands buried itself in her curls while I wrapped my free arm around her waist, pulling her closer than we'd ever been before. She didn't seem to mind, tilting her head at the perfect angle to deepen the kiss even more.

It was absolutely incredible.

"JONATHAN CHRISTOPHER AND CLARISSA ADELE!" The yell caused us to jump and pull away from each other on instinct. Simon didn't have to say anything more for me to realize that we had _probably_ been kissing for more than twenty seconds, but I couldn't bring myself to care because of the sight in front of me.

Clary was panting, eyes wide. Her lips were swollen because _I'd_ kissed them. Her hair was messy because _I'd_ had my hands in it. All of that made me want to throw everything away and pull her back into my arms, but I knew I had to control myself. Even if it was one of the hardest things I'd done in my life.

"Still think..." I cleared my throat, because my voice was embarrassingly unsteady, "Still think I'm all bark?"

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

"I dare you to kiss Clary for twenty seconds."

Holy shit.

"And at some point, the word French has to be thrown in the mix."

Holy _motherfreaking_ shit.

Clearly, I had died and gone to Heaven. Or Hell, depending on the way you looked at it, because I had to kiss _Jace_ without letting him get an idea of how I felt. It was _terrifying_. I was getting what I wanted handed to me on a silver platter, but I couldn't let him know that I'd wanted it in the first place. It was terribly, horribly a predicament that I didn't know whether or not I wanted to be faced with.

I'd been so wrapped up in my own emotions that I'd barely caught the nervousness on Jace's face before it was replaced with a smirk. It was a smirk that I knew was fake. I just didn't know _why_ it was fake. I hoped it wasn't because he hated the idea of kissing me and had to cover it up with-

I stopped from going into complete panic mode, instead opting to trick myself into believing that the smirk was at least the tiniest bit real.

"Scared, Shortcake?" He teased, and for some reason, it distracted me. Well, not for some reason. I still had that piece of me that refused to let Jace win any sort of challenge. Old habits die hard, apparently. I hoped my icy glare spoke for itself, but I had to say it aloud anyways for my own peace of mind.

"I'm not scared." I narrowed my eyes even more, ready for anything he was about to throw at me. Jace would _not_ be allowed a victory on this.

"Well you shouldn't be, because I'm about to rock your world." Jace wiggled his eyebrows in a way I never could, and I could tell the smirk on his face was genuine at this point. Being me, I had to knock his ego down a few notches. It barely took a second for me to throw something back at him. Even still, I couldn't help but want to grin.

"All bark and no bite." Was my quick and concise response, but when I looked into Jace's eyes and there was _that_ glint in them, I knew I'd made a horrible mistake.

"Oh I can bite." His voice was low and smooth and pure gold. My eyes widened of their own accord, because Jace had just _majorly_ flirted with me. And it was a _dirty_ flirt, not just those innocent brushes of hands or a hug that may or may not last too long. No, this was the true Jace Lightwood charm. Then again, I didn't even know if he was _trying_ to do it, if he even realized he was doing it in the first place.

"But I won't." He added, but my mind was still racing with what, exactly, that would entail. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my mind in an appropriate place. He walked over and sat down in front of me, his face coming so close to mine that I could feel his exhales. Seeming as unaffected as possible was one of the hardest things I'd done in my life, but my wariness must've still shown through.

"It's okay." I barely heard his whisper over my pounding heart. "It's me." And those four words were what gave me the courage to nod. Then, he closed the minimal distance between us. At first, it was so soft and gentle, and it made me wonder if Jace had kissed anyone else like this. It was so intimate and sweet that I almost turned to mush.

And that was when I realized that I was so involved in my own head that I hadn't kissed back, so I did. A part of me doubted that I should, because it was a dare, and Jace was only doing this because he _had_ to. Then, he brought his hand to my face, and I couldn't help but lean into the pressure.

So I figured that at least he wasn't having a horrible time. It gave me the boost I needed to wrap my arms around his neck. For a few seconds, we stayed like that, but then I figured that we'd been kissing for almost too long, and there had to be tongue at some point. Jace seemed to have the epiphany at the same time, because his tongue swiped across my lower lip. I gasped at the feeling, and he seemed to take it as a cue, because that was when we _really_ started kissing.

His tongue entered my mouth, and boy it felt glorious, so glorious that I was gutsy enough to use his weak spot. I let my fingers slide into his hair and tug. There was a pause, so I tugged again, and he let out a growl that made me shiver from head to toe. And that was when I was sure that he was, in fact, enjoying this.

So I was bold and took it a step further, tilting my head to deepen the kiss. It felt absolutely _amazing_. So amazing that we'd clearly lost track of time. That was pointed out barley a second after I thought of it.

"JONATHAN CHRISTOPHER AND CLARISSA ADELE!" Surprisingly, it was Simon yelling, so that was definitely a sign to jump away from each other.

I was out of breath and very sure that I looked like a mess. Jace did too. On the surface he covered up everything, but there was a certain look in his eyes that almost made me believe that he would say 'Screw it' and take me back. That seemed to be what I wanted, but I knew that this wasn't the right time, place, or situation.

"Still think..." It shocked me that his voice wasn't steady, and I realized that was because of _me_. My heart almost melted as he cleared his throat, "Still think I'm all bark?"

 _God no._

* * *

 **Soooo... First kiss. And it was a** _ **real super kiss**_ **. Granted, it** _ **was**_ **a little bit by force, but they kissed, and that's what matters, right? I hope you guys are ready, because the Clace ship is now starting to sail! And now onto the...**

 **Question of the Chapter: If you were to give Sergeant Cuddles to someone, who would it be?**

 **Until next time, my Faithfuls!  
**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	20. Chapter 19

**So this is a pretty short one, but I wanted to give you guys a little gift for the last of the month. Even though it isn't** _ **technically**_ **the last day of the month. Whatever. It's an update. :D So I also have another message, this one being very important to me. I have started a poetry account on Instagram (peoplethatneverexisted) and a... well the name says it all... account (flipthecliche) on Instagram. It would me the absolute** _ **world**_ **to me if you guys followed and liked. A little incentive... If I get enough follows and likes, I** _ **will**_ **throw in a Malec chapter. Or a Sizzy chapter, depending on your liking. AND an express update, which you are going to want after this. So... ON WITH THE STORY.**

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

"Clarissa." A voice hissed in my ear. Someone shook me slightly, but I didn't want to leave my pillow, so I batted the hand away, " _Clarissa!_ " I mumbled an incoherent string of words, the general meaning being: 'Leave me to sleep in peace.' Then, there was a sudden, sharp pain, and my eyes snapped open.

"Did you just pinch me?" I whisper-yelled to Isabelle, and she huffed.

"I _tried_ to wake you up nicely." She pointed out. I realized I couldn't really refute it, because she _had_ tried, so I opted for a pout. There was a silence in which a part of me started to drift off again. Isabelle must've been able to tell, considering the fact that she raised a threatening hand. I got the message pretty fast.

"What do you want?" It came out in a _semi_ nice tone, which was a miracle in itself.

"We need to talk." Izzy said mysteriously, and my stomach dropped. There was only one thing I could think of that would make her say those words. I had a strong feeling that this conversation would _not_ be pretty. Then again, it could be something _totally_ different that my sleep ridden mind wasn't thinking of. I sighed, moving to get up, but I quickly found that it wasn't working.

Something tightened around me, and a sense of dread took over when I realized what it was. My pillow was not, in fact, a pillow. It was Jace, who was also holding me in his arms. Isabelle raised an eyebrow, and I knew I was completely and totally screwed. It took some effort, but I finally ripped myself away, cheeks on fire.

Isabelle silently led the way to a room, and the door shut behind us with an ominous click. I swallowed hard, sitting on the bed. She pulled up a rolling chair in front of me. For a minute, she stared at me, clearly waiting for me to blurt something out like I normally would, but I locked my jaw tight, determined to keep my mouth shut until I was forced to speak.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" She asked in that voice that told me she already knew the answer full and well. It was all the more reason to say nothing until she spilled all the information she had. There was a drawn out silence in which we had an epic stare down. Then, Izzy sighed.

"I always knew this would happen." She started, and I clenched my hands at my sides, her tone suggesting that a speech would be coming, "I always knew you would fall for him. And I had a feeling it wouldn't just be that puppy dog crush because he's attractive. No, I knew you would be head over heels. Don't ask me how. I just did." She took a deep breath, breaking eye contact, "It's why I was so firm about there being a line between you guys. I thought that maybe, if he didn't flirt or pull out his charm, you guys would keep up your rivalry. Then, you didn't hate him anymore, and he didn't hate you anymore, and I knew it would all come crashing down. He would break your heart. I was sure of it."

My breath caught at that, and I opened my mouth, but she held up a hand to stop me.

"The key word is _was_ , because The Great Player Jonathan Christopher Lightwood would throw it to the side in two seconds. But he's not that anymore. Do you know the last time he had a girl over for...that?"

I shook my head, not necessarily wanting to know the answer.

"I don't either." She whispered, meeting my gaze again, and there was an intensity in her eyes that I hadn't seen when the talk had started. What she meant finally got through my head, and my lips parted. It wasn't possible. Jace _had_ to have had a girl over. Then again, the last time he'd bragged about getting a girl was suspiciously long ago.

"Clary." Isabelle drew me back out of my head, "If you hurt him, I will kill you very slowly, and very painfully." My eyes widened a fraction, "And no one will find your body." Normally, I would've taken it lightly, maybe even laughed a bit, but there was no joking note in what she was saying. I suddenly understood why Jace had looked so stricken when they'd ended their talks.

I found myself nodding slowly.

"Wait." I realized something when I'd gotten over the bit of Izzy-induced-terror, "Why do I need this talk anyways? It's not like he..." I trailed off when I saw the look in her eyes. Her face betrayed nothing, but there was a certain twinkle to her irises that had me suddenly at the edge of my seat. I opened my mouth to question the living hell out of her, but she stood up abruptly, cutting me off before I had the chance to let out a sound.

"We should probably go to sleep." She said simply, turning and walking out without looking back. For a second, I just stared after her, mind trying to comprehend what the hell had just happened. Isabelle had given _me_ a talk. As in _Clarissa Adele Fray_ who she'd been trying to _protect_ for the last who-knows-how-many years.

"Isabelle." I hissed, catching up to her and grabbing her arm. She turned around with a perfectly arched eyebrow, "Have you given Jace a _talk_ like that?" I asked, and a smirk played on her lips.

"Simon's got that covered."

* * *

 **JACE POV**

"Simon, what in the _hell_ has you waking me up this early?" I growled dangerously. Normally, his eyes would've widened a bit in fear, because no offense to the guy, but he was a twig compared to me. However, this time, his eyes were hard, and his lips were set in a firm line. It turned out that _I_ was the one who was shocked, and frankly a bit scared.

"We need to talk." His voice was low, and I had a feeling it was for more than to keep the others from waking up. It spoke of slight danger and a bit of destruction. I found myself nodding and rising without protest. We walked to the kitchen, Simon simply going without sparing me another glance.

I half thought he would ignore me, but I wasn't that fortunate. Instead, he turned a cold, searching stare on me that I didn't know he was capable of. Little Simon Lewis shouldn't be capable of that, but he was. I could only say that Isabelle would currently be proud of her sort-of-but-not boyfriend.

"Is there something you need to say?" He asked in a tone that said he wasn't really asking. It spoke volumes of _'Tell me or else'._ That was when my stubbornness kickstarted, because I was _not_ supposed to be on the receiving end of that. I closed my mouth with a challenging stare directed Simon's way. I expected him to retaliate, but he simply stared back, calm and collected as if nothing would faze him. I shifted uneasily.

"What do you think you know?" I asked, trying to keep as cool as him but not quite succeeding. My voice shook the tiniest bit, and I hated it, but I _needed_ an answer. Simon _clearly_ knew something that he wasn't about to admit. Still, I needed to know just how _much_ he knew before spouting off information that he didn't already have. He averted his gaze, but it wasn't in submission. It was more like he didn't care enough to keep eye contact.

"Did you know that Clary can shoot a gun?" His tone was so _casual_ as he picked at his fingernails, but the words still hit me hard. I opened my mouth, but I had no idea what to say to that, so I stayed silent, "She's pretty damn good with a knife too." He continued like it was nothing. I floundered for _some_ sort of words to say, but he'd just told me that Clary knew how to use _weapons_. As in _harmful_ and _dangerous_ ones.

His head suddenly snapped up, startling me. His gaze connected with mine, and I swallowed hard.

"You see, I don't have to threaten you." His smile was borderline sinister, "Because Clary is perfectly capable of killing you herself. With a variety of weapons." My eyes widened of their own accord, and I found myself nodding, even though no question had been asked. I must've been visibly ruffled, because Simon's smirk widened, "Do you get the message?"

My nod turned vigorous.

All of a sudden, he completely deflated, the terrifying look disappearing completely and normal Simon returning.

"Thank God." He let out a sigh. Then, he trained a lopsided, sheepish smile on me. I reeled slightly with whiplash at the total change, "I'm so sorry." He apologized, "Isabelle made me. Coached me and everything." I blinked, trying to process his words while trying to process his previous message at the same time.

Then, everything got through my thick skull, and I couldn't help but laugh. I didn't know whether it was out of nerves or relief or what, but I did, and Simon joined in.

"I don't think you were supposed to tell me that part." I said after a bit with an _actual_ smile on my face. He smiled back, and I knew that all was right in the world, "Does Clary really know how to use those?" I asked, suddenly doubting anything and everything he said. To my surprise he nodded, and I believed him this time.

Despite the fact that Clary could murder me, I felt a little calmer. Though unsettling, Simon's talk was nothing compared to Isabelle's.

As if by magic, I heard the creak of the stairs. I turned, seeing Clary and Isabelle walking down. Clary hadn't seemed to notice me and Simon, but Isabelle looked straight at us. Simon and I shared a look, trying to put on the faces we should probably have on (me with fear and Simon stone cold), but it was too late. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a huff, and that caught Clary's attention.

When she turned, our gazes clashed, and what had happened mere hours ago suddenly struck me again. It flooded me, and I could feel it almost like it was happening again. I realized briefly that if this was what happened _every time I looked at her_ from here on out, my health was in grave danger.

Her lips parted as if she wanted say something but couldn't. There was something in her eyes that I couldn't quite identify, but I had a feeling it was mirrored back in my own. And in some odd way, it felt perfect. I guess it was the fact that I wasn't alone in this, that she just might share what I was feeling.

My eyes return to Isabelle as I tried to break free from the trance. Reality slowly started to seep in. Then, a question began to take shape in my mind. I understood why Simon was giving _me_ a talk, but Isabelle giving _Clary_ a talk...

I tried to tell myself that _maybe it wasn't a talk_ , but I knew the look on Clary's face. She might not have realized it, but the aftershocks showed. There was that lack of color in her face and slight nervousness in the eyes, which kept flicking to Izzy. Those were the telltale signs. Granted, it must have been _less_ of a talk with Clary, because the unconscious terror wouldn't have faded that fast if it was full on, but it was a talk nonetheless.

It took me that long to realize there was an awkward silence in the room.

None of us would make eye contact.

And then I decided that I was finally going to man up. If Iz was giving Clary, as in the girl she'd tried to scare me away from for practically all of our _lives_ , a talk, there _had_ to be hope. Even if it was the most tiny miniscule little sliver, there _had_ to be hope.

"Clary, I-"

"Jace, I-"

Clary and I spoke at the same time. Yet again, our gazes clashed. I vaguely noticed Simon and Isabelle quickly leave the room. It fell silent again. I took a deep breath, because one of us _had_ to say something at _some_ point soon. Clary must've seen it, because she stared expectantly.

"We need to talk."

* * *

 **Well. That's ominous... isn't it. ;)** _ **Especially**_ **after a** _ **talk**_ **and a** _ **kiss.**_ **Let us see what happens, because** _ **things**_ **are bound to be said in this new talk between our two favorite little people. Clary being** _ **literally**_ **little. And again...**

 **IF ENOUGH OF YOU FOLLOW AND LIKE PICTURES ON THE ACCOUNTS: peoplethatneverexisted AND flipthecliche ON INSTAGRAM, I WILL THROW IN AN EXTRA SIZZY AND/OR MALEC CHAPTER. THIS IS ALONG WITH AN EXPRESS UPDATE! GET FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO FOLLOW TOO IF YOU CAN...**

 **With** _ **absolutely wonderful**_ **love to all my Faithfuls...**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	21. Chapter 20

**HELLO MY FAITHFULS. Yes, I am finally posting a freaking chapter after several months. I'll be perfectly honest, I lost inspiration for this for a little bit. Well, more this chapter than anything else. I mean, I've got this thing planned out, but I just didn't know how to do this bit. For some reason, it was** _ **so hard**_ **. Plus, my summer and the start of school have been absolutely** _ **crazy**_ **. I've got so much on my plate right now.**

 **But I think I'll be able to keep going, especially since we're nearing the end.**

 **So, my sweet devoted Faithfuls...**

 **ON WITH THE STORY!**

 **JACE POV**

* * *

 _We need to talk_.

The words echoed in my head until there was nothing else I could hear, nothing else I could do. Clary seemed to be at a loss for words too, so a deafening silence ensued. Both of us were waiting for the other to make a move, to say _something_ , but neither of us wanted to initiate it. I had absolutely no idea what to say. All I wanted to do was break this tension. So I was an idiot, as usual.

"The weather is nice." Was what came out of my mouth, my voice shaky. For a second, nothing happened. Then, a smile pulled at the corner of Clary's mouth, which made mine do the same. The awkwardness seemed to disappear as we both couldn't hold back laughter.

"Let me get this straight." Clary said after her laughing subsided, "You asked for a 'talk,' and you start it off by saying that the weather is nice when there's a _blizzard_ outside." Blood rushed to my cheeks, and judging by the way she smirked, she'd noticed. All I did was roll my eyes, acting like I wasn't justifying her with a response when in reality, my mind was flying around. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.

"Well, it made you laugh, didn't it?" I made the logical point, and it was her smirk turned to another soft smile. Another silence descended, but this time, it wasn't bad. It was comfortable as our words began to flow unspoken. And in that moment, I believed it.

Clary liked me, as in _like_ liked me.

And she seemed to realize that I _like_ liked her at the same time.

I stepped closer to her, and she bit her lip, staring up at me through her lashes. My heart was pounding in my chest. It was a feeling I'd never had before. Then again, there was a lot I'd never had before with Clary. And I didn't regret it. I wasn't going to run.

That was the thought that gave me the courage to close the distance. My arms wrapped around her waist seemingly of their own accord, and hers fell around my neck. I opened my mouth to say _something_ , but everything was already on the table. We didn't need to speak to convey what was in both of our eyes.

"Kiss me." I barely heard her whisper.

So I did.

For a long time.

When we broke apart, there was a shy smile on her face, and her cheeks were pink. I couldn't help my own soft grin, and _what had happened to me?_ Jace Lightwood did _not_ get all blushy and shy and just no. Well, he didn't before, but now... now was a different story. To my surprise, I didn't have the tiniest urge to take it all back.

Clary bit her lip, eyes trained on her feet, but I knew it wasn't a bad sign. And I loved it.

"So..." I took the initiative, breaking the silence that was in no way awkward. The confidence in me suddenly disappeared, because I'd sweet talked girls before, but I'd _never_ asked one out with the intention of _actually_ starting a relationship. "Will...Will you... Go..." I struggled.

Her gaze lifted.

"Out with you?" She finished for me.

I still couldn't get a sound out of my mouth, so I nodded wordlessly, embarrassed beyond belief that _I was blushing_. But I was blushing because of _Clary_ , and somehow, that made it okay. My eyes flicked to the kitchen door where everyone was no doubt eavesdropping, then turned back to Clary.

"Should we...?" I trailed off with the unfinished question. There was a muffled _thump_ on the door, and Clary snorted with a roll of her eyes. I was reminded why I liked her when she crept quietly over to that very door and flung it out with a surprising amount of force.

There were a series of yelps and a slightly concerning crash as the door hit a body, which then hit other bodies, which then possibly hit a piece of furniture. For a second, I felt bad. Then, I realized that they had, in fact, been eavesdropping, so it was, in fact, their fault. I just hoped nothing had broken.

Before even paying attention to any of the slightly annoyed people on the ground, I glanced out to make sure that nothing valuable had shattered. Luckily, we seemed to be in the green. Then, the people began to rise to their feet, so my attention was brought back to them.

All of the group was there. Even _Alec_ had come down, apparently to witness the scene. My eyes flicked to Clary, and despite the fact that she'd seemed normal when she threw open the door, her face was fire-engine red. Her hair was even messier than before, and even though she seemed to pay attention, she looked a bit detached. It was like she was in her own little world. I thought-hoped- it was because of me.

"We're going to have to deal with this for a long time, aren't we?" Magnus piped up, a bit of exasperation in his voice. I tilted my head in question. "You two being a lovey-dovey couple who stare at each other like that's the only thing that matters in the world." It felt like a sort of backhanded compliment, so I smiled.

"Yes, you are." Surprisingly it was Clary who spoke up, a firm note to her tone. The rest of the group simultaneously rolled their eyes, and I felt a little bit lighter. Okay, a lot lighter. Like my lungs were filled with helium and I could fly and _when did I become a girl?_ "At least, I hope."

Clary's words drew me back to her, and I saw something in her eyes. There was a slightly guarded fear in them. That was when I realized how scary this must be for her. Yes, it was clear that we had feelings for each other, but for a long time, I had been Jonathan Christopher Lightwood, player extraordinaire. I'd used girls like tissues and never looked back.

"Of course." I murmured, and I would spend every second of our relationship proving that to her if I had to. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that I had changed for the better, that _she_ had changed me for the better. As cliche as it sounded, it was one hundred percent true. So if she didn't fully believe that now, she would have to in the end.

"Awwww." The sound pulled me from my thoughts. I didn't even feel the need to roll my eyes as Maia made a heart with her hands. It was warranted, if I should say so myself. Then, I turned back to Clary, and her cheeks were still tinged pink.

Yes, definitely warranted.

 **CLARY POV**

"There _are_ a couple rules though." Isabelle suddenly piped up, and fear immediately gripped me. She may be my best friend, but I knew she wasn't above severe punishment if I went against her wishes. So _all_ rules would have to be obeyed. If I wanted to keep my life, at least. "Actually, there's only one big one." That brought a bit of relief, but if there was only one, that must be big. "There will be absolutely no making out in front of me, because if there is, I will throw up. And if I will throw up, I'll make sure it's on both of you."

There were murmured agreements amongst the group, and I rolled my eyes. Honestly, that could've gone unsaid, because I wasn't about to make that a public show. But I had a feeling it was more directed at Jace than me, considering his past displays with girls. Even though there was a bit of worry in me, I knew that wouldn't happen, though.

Jace had changed. That was absolutely, blatantly obvious. He was kind and caring and dare I say it, adorable. I knew he would never intentionally hurt me. There was no way to prove it, but it was just something I _knew_ deep down inside. Jace was a passionate person, and now... now he was passionate about me.

In the least dirty sense possible.

Well, mostly.

"Weren't you the one who _dared_ us to make out." Jace pointed out in response to Izzy, "For twenty seconds. With tongue." And he was completely right. It wasn't like the group minded, either. In fact, they'd almost seemed to encourage it. So there really should be no protesting on their part.

"That was a one time thing." There was a pouty undertone to Isabelle's words, because she knew Jace was right. He snorted, and I couldn't help my own chuckle.

"It's true." I shrugged when she turned to me for what looked like help. Then, an expression of horror crossed her face, and my brow furrowed in question. For a moment, she didn't speak, just stared at us. I snapped my fingers to bring her back to her senses.

"I just realized that now, you guys are going to _agree_ on things." She shuddered, and a look of impending self-doom took place on her. To my surprise, that same emotion seemed to pass through the group. For a moment, I wondered why. Then, I realized that Jace and I were two very strong willed people, hence our previous clashing. But now, with us on the same side...

An evil laugh bubbled out of my mouth, and everyone's eyes snapped to me. Most of them were pure dread, but one pair was filled with amusement.

"Yes." Jace slung an arm over my shoulders, "With Shortcake and I on the same side... No one can stop us." The same maniacal laughter passed through his lips, and the group's concern seemed to amp up by a hundred.

Then, I turned to face Jace with a smile. I ended up meeting his gaze, and immediately drowned in the golden pools of his irises. I'd always thought they were beautiful, despite not wanting to admit it for the longest time, but now, when they were filled with such radiance and happiness because of _me_ , they were absolutely stunning.

My breath caught in my throat, and we couldn't seem to look away, completely lost in each other. As stupidly cliche as it sounded, the world fell away until there was nothing but him and I.

And that was when it hit me full force.

Jace had feelings for me.

Jonathan Christopher Lightwood had feelings for _me_ , and they weren't just comprised of lust. He genuinely _cared_. On top of that, it seemed like he cared more about me than he ever had any other girl in his life.

Well, outside of his family.

And that was pure bliss. The fact that the Great Jace Lightwood had even given me a second glance was something. The fact that he looked at me like I was his world... that was something else entirely. Needless to say, it warmed me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and it was perfect. Everything was absolutely perfect.

"By the angel." Simon groaned, tearing me away from the trance I had been in, "And so it begins."

"What begins?" I asked a bit defensively.

"The lovey dovey mushy stuff that we're going to have to put up with for who knows how long." He clarified. I was caught between being slightly offended and greatly amused. For the sake of everyone, I chose the latter.

"Oh it's going to get _much_ worse." Surprisingly, it was Jace who started teasing before I could. But of course, I had to add on.

"We're going to hold hands everywhere we go."

"We're going to make kissy faces whenever we see each other."

"We're going to give each other little nicknames."

"Like Honey and Pookie."

"Of course, we'll cuddle endlessly."

"And we'll get lost in each other's eyes."

"So-"

" _Okay, okay!_ " Alec exclaimed, and I tried to keep a straight face, "We _get it_. You are going to be lovestruck idiots like those couples you read about in those stupid fluffy fanfictions." I laughed while Jace wrinkled his nose. It looked like he was a bit disgusted.

"I don't read _fanfictions_." To be honest, it came out a bit too defensive to be believable.

"You're right. You don't have to." Magnus said, "Because you're basically a living, breathing, YA romance novel couple. I mean, you start off as total enemies, are forced together by unforeseen circumstances, start being unintentionally romantic, become friends, flirt endlessly, deny your feelings, then _finally_ come to the realization that both of you feel the same way."

Well, when he put it like that...

"Not to mention the meddling friends." Jordan added with a slightly proud smile, and I couldn't help the fact that the corners of my lips pulled up slightly. Jace and I looked at each other at the same time. No matter how much we could possibly try to protest, it was _so true_.

"I guess it is." Jace shrugged as if it was no big deal, and my heart fluttered in my chest.

Because maybe, just maybe, we were a living, breathing, giant cliche.

* * *

 **AWWWWWWWWW! In my opinion, this was pretty sweet. And I mean, throwing in the fanfriction thing was a bit genius ;) Not really, but I'd like to think so. Anyways... They are FINALLY TOGETHER! WOOHOO! I loved writing the normally suave Jace as unable to ask a girl on a date. I just feel like it's so... different for him. Uncharted territory, so I had to.**

 **Question of the Chapter: Do you write, whether it's fiction, nonfiction, or anything in between? If so, what's the name of your absolute favorite thing you've written?**

 **Until next time my Faithfuls,**

 **-Shadowhunter5801**


	22. Chapter 21

**Hello, my Faithfuls! Okay, so I know it's been a long time, but life has been** _ **crazy**_ **for me. I am** _ **so sorry**_ **. I'll be honest, I lost inspiration and the drive to write this, but what gave me the push is that I now know** _ **exactly**_ **how it's going to end. And that end is (sadly) approaching. In other news, I'm hoping to publish a book of my poetry and short stories by the end of 2019, so wish me luck. Now let's go get 'em.**

* * *

 **CLARY POV**

"You're kidding me, right?" I asked Isabelle, staring at her with what had to be a look of total dumbfounded disbelief. She rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"No, I'm not kidding you." She said slowly, like I wouldn't understand if she spoke faster. Normally, I would be slightly offended, but given the fact that we had gone through these same sentences three times, it was warranted. To be fair, so was my total bafflement. "I want you to look beautiful for your first date with your new boyfriend. Even if said boyfriend is my idiot brother." My mouth opened and closed, but I found myself nodding.

To be honest, it would probably be an enormous help. Though I would never tell Iz, I'd called Magnus about two hours before to see if I could use his expertise, but of _course_ he was on a date with Alec. Granted, they were my real life OTP, but still.

At least now, I wouldn't be painting my face helplessly

I stepped to the side, and Isabelle walked in. As we made our way to my room, we were stopped by my parents, who sat at the kitchen table. That was when I realized that I hadn't told Isabelle that they didn't exactly know what I was doing. They just knew I was going out, but I trusted Isabelle to not spill the beans.

"Hi Luke. Hi Jocelyn." She waved to each of them respectively. They waved back, and I closed my eyes, praying this wouldn't screw everything up. "So how are you feeling about your little girl going on a date?"

Clearly, my prayers weren't answered.

I closed my eyes tighter and clenched my fists. There was no point in trying to play it off, because I already looked guilty as all hell. So I settled for bracing myself for the impending doom.

"She's not a little girl anymore." Luke spoke, and my eyes snapped open. Both he and my mother were staring at me with identical knowing looks. I blinked, not knowing what in the world to say to that. There was no way they could've known. No way at all. "We're not stupid." Luke said in response to my shock, "With the way you were acting, we assumed something was up."

I narrowed my eyes, because I loved my parents, but they weren't perceptive enough to figure it out this specifically. Yes, they probably suspected something, but they couldn't have deduced when my date was.

"Who told you?" I questioned, already planning Simon's slow death. He was weak when it came to parent interrogation, and there was simply no one else who would've let the cat out of the bag. There was no response, so I settled my gaze on Luke, who was admittedly the weaker link of the two. To my surprise, he held my stare steadily, not about to give Simon up for sure.

Finally, someone spoke, but it wasn't my mom or Luke.

"Jace asked them for permission." I whipped to face Isabelle at her words, probably looking even more surprised than I had when Iz told me she wanted to help me get ready for my date. I opened my mouth to say _something_ -thoughI don't know what-but she simply turned and started walking toward my room, gesturing for me to follow. I looked at my parents, who waved me off with smiles, then made my way to my room in a state of confusion.

When I walked inside my room, I found Isabelle already leafing through my closet. I plopped down on my bed, knowing I just had to let her go through her process as she made various noises of approval and disapproval. She would obviously make me wear some nice dress she bought me and the monstrosities we call high heels, so I laid back, just waiting.

Suddenly, clothes hit me, and I sat up with a start. I huffed out a sigh, ready to see what I would be forced into, only to find that I was holding one of my slightly nicer shirts and a pair of slightly nicer jeans. Next, she tossed me my black Converse high tops.

Certainly, today was the day I would be shocked to death.

Not in the electricity sense. Just to clarify.

"You have to look like you." Isabelle said by way of explanation, and I nodded slowly. Mentally, I was screaming in relief-because yes, that is a thing-but there was a bit of a lag between my mind and my mouth, so it took me a second to express my gratitude. I did so by pushing the clothes and shoes off my lap and rocketing up to throw my arms around my best friend.

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" I repeated, and Iz snorted but hugged be back anyways. After a minute of freaking out, I stepped back, then threw the clothes on. "Now makeup...?" I asked cautiously. Isabelle assessed me for a second, then beckoned me to the bathroom. I followed without protest.

She sat me down in front of the sink.

"All I'm doing is a little bit of blush and lipgloss." She told me, and this time, I was significantly less surprised. I got her logic. Jace liked the me I was every day, not just the me I was in a dress. Then again, that wasn't really me at all. "And I'm putting your hair up in a clip." I opened my mouth to tell her that Jace had said before that he likes my hair down, but she spoke before I could, "So he can take it down himself."

Isabelle was a lot smarter than I gave her credit for.

She finished faster than ever before, given the fact that she had to do next to nothing, then turned me to face the mirror. I smiled at my reflection, because it wasn't overdone. It was Clary 2.0.

"Voila!" Isabelle put her hands on the back of the chair, a proud look on her face. It was probably as hard for her to restrain herself from the usual routine as it was for me to go through the usual routine. I thanked her for that, and her grin widened at the acknowledgement.

And then it hit me.

I was going on a date with Jace.

I, Clarissa Adele Fray, was going on a date with Jonathan Christopher Lightwood.

Deargodhelpme.

"I'm going on a date with Jace." The obvious statement passed through my lips as I tried to keep myself calm. "I'm going on a date with Jace. Oh god, I'm _going on a date with Jace_."

Well, so much for keeping calm.

Isabelle marched up to me, setting her hands on my shoulders. I almost didn't notice because I was so caught up in my frantic thoughts, but she cleared her throat. At first, it did nothing, but when she did an exaggerated repeat, I forced myself out of my head.

"Clarissa, listen to me." She commanded. I nodded, but still couldn't speak. "You are going to be absolutely _fine_." My mouth opened, but the look she gave me told me to shut up. "Jace cares about you. He genuinely _cares_ about you. I have never in all my years seen him act like a little love struck puppy. At least, not until now. You have absolutely _nothing_ to worry about."

Then, without waiting for a response, she walked over to my bed and picked up Sergeant Cuddles.

" _This_ ," she emphasized the word, "is not something he would do for just anyone. He hasn't made anything _close_ to this effort before. So calm your shit."

I cracked a smile at her extremely elegant closing. Deep down, I already knew all of that was true. I mean, I'd known Jace for practically all our lives, so I was able to draw that conclusion on my own. But it was different hearing someone else say it out loud. It was comforting.

That was when we glanced at the clock, and my jaw dropped.

Jace would be here in less than five-

"Clarissa!" My mother yelled, and I jumped out of my seat. "Your date is here!" I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself so I wouldn't run out there smiling like a maniac. Isabelle suddenly grabbed my hand, and I met her gaze.

"You've got this." She said, then ushered me out and to the living room.

When I first laid eyes on Jace, my heart must've been beating a thousand times a second. But I couldn't help the grin from spreading across my face. He hadn't noticed me yet, because he was caught up in talking to my mother, which was a sight to see considering her previous feelings about him. And they were both smiling, as in genuine smiles.

After a moment of waiting and not being noticed, Isabelle coughed deliberately, drawing the attention to us.

Well, to me.

And that was when Jace beamed at me like he never had before. I blushed, looking shyly down at my feet. Then, I reminded myself that it was _Jace_. We'd _cuddled_ before, so there was absolutely no need to be nervous now. Of course, Luke had to ruin the moment by embarrassing the crap out of me.

"Remember what I said about being _safe_." There was a teasing glint in his eyes, but that didn't stop my cheeks from going from a light pink to fire engine red. It gave me a bit of comfort that Jace didn't look so good either. "I mean driving, of course." Luke clarified mockingly, which only made things worse.

I let out a slightly strangled noise of agreement.

A second later, I forced myself to shake it off. Jace seemed to do the same at that time, because he held out a hand.

"Are you ready?" That simple question held so much depth. Was I ready to risk my feelings? Was I ready to give him my affection? Was I ready to put my heart on my sleeve?

And then, I realized that I already had.

"Yes." I said meaningfully. "I'm ready."

I took his hand.

* * *

 **JACE POV**

"Where are you going?" I jumped slightly, startled by the curious voice. I turned toward it. Max was standing in the doorway of my room, staring expectantly. After a second of trying to collect myself, I gave him a _look_. "Sorry." He rolled his eyes, not seeming sorry at all. At first, I wanted to smack him. Then, I remembered who taught him to have that attitude. He walked outside, knocking on the doorframe before walking in again.

"Hi, Max." I said patronizingly, just because I knew it would irritate him. What can I say? It was simply my duty as an older sibling. "What do you need?" He huffed, pouting with crossed arms. Without even knowing it, he was helping dissolve the nervousness in me. I couldn't help but smile. "I'm going out." I replied vaguely, not ready for Max's inevitable excitement.

"Please tell me it's not with _Seelie_." He wrinkled his nose, and that was when I realized that I hadn't yet told him about Clary and I being... well... going on a date. I forced myself not to put a label on it, because it was only the first date, so I couldn't have too high of expectations. So I just shook my head.

Max raised his eyebrows.

"How long ago?" He asked. I was about to fake confusion, but the look in his eyes told me he'd already figured it out. There was no use in denial. Damn perceptive little kids. "I'm not a little kid." Max said indignantly, alerting me to the fact that I'd said it out loud.

"Last weekend." I mumbled, staring at the floor and feeling a bit bad that I hadn't told him. I thought there was going to be at least a tiny outburst, but there was only silence. When I looked back up, there was no hurt on Max's face. Only a childlike glee in his eyes. Then, it came.

"Really? It's _Clary_? Oh, wow. I can't believe it. Well, I _can_ believe it. I just thought you'd be to chicken to ask her-"

"Hey!" I exclaimed, cutting him off, "I am not a chicken, thank you _very_ much." But I couldn't help that my grin began to spread across my face. I thought the excitement would freak me out. Instead, it made me feel good. Really good. Still, when I saw Max do a happy dance, I knew there was more to the story.

"Max..." I gave him a meaningful look. At first, it seemed like he was going to play dumb, but when I deepened the look, he sighed.

"I won another fifty bucks off of Alec." He admitted. I snorted, about to comment that I was actually pretty proud of him. Then, I caught another thing that was even more surprising.

"What do you mean by _another_?" I asked, curiosity evident in my tone. Max swallowed hard, as if he either didn't mean to say it or didn't think I would catch it. I crossed my arms, waiting for the moment he would crack. It only took about ten more seconds of a stare down for him to break.

"Alec and I had a bet on whether or not Clary had a crush on you." The words came out in a rush, but I heard them all the same. For a second, I couldn't speak out of shock. Did _everyone_ know Clary had feelings for me _except_ for me?

"Yes." The reply came almost immediately, "And if you don't want me to hear things, you probably shouldn't say them out loud." I narrowed my eyes, daring him to test me. He didn't even flinch, and I wondered just how much I'd influenced that child. "I won, by the way." He added. My lips twitched, and a part of me wanted to congratulate him. The other part of me wanted to smack him for not telling me.

"Where's Isabelle?" I changed the subject. Even though he didn't appear to, I knew Max probably caught it. Luckily, he had mercy on me.

"She's helping Clary get ready."

My eyebrows climbed past my hairline.

"Isabelle is helping Clary get ready for a date with _me_?"

"I guess she ships you guys now." Max shrugged. I resisted the urge to groan at the dreaded word, but at the same time, I was relieved that my sister wasn't against the relationship.

I decided not to comment, instead picking up my phone and checking the time. When I saw it, I swallowed hard. It was time to leave. And go on a date. An _actual_ romantic date. With Clarissa Adele Fray.

I took a deep breath, and the walk to the front door was a blur. I came to when I was standing in front of it. I reached for the knob, but I was stopped by a voice.

"I'm proud of you." I whipped around when Mom spoke to find her and Dad standing there. They had identical soft smiles on their faces, and it may sound girly to say, but my heart swelled. My parents were proud of me, and that felt good.

"Go get her." Dad encouraged.

And that was what gave me the push I needed to turn around and open the door.

* * *

 **So the date isn't here** _ **quite**_ **yet, but I'm guessing you get the idea that it's coming up soon. I just wanted to give that feel of their emotions, because I think it's very important to understand. They aren't meant to be perfectly confident. Obviously, they're still nervous as all heck, because this is new territory, especially for Jace. Anyways. I'm actually excited for what's coming next!  
**

 **Question of the Chapter: What is your hope for 2019?**

 **With so much love to my Faithfuls,**

 **Shadowhunter5801**


End file.
